Man charged over police pursuit and crack cocaine discovery
Aiden Karolak appeared in court via video link from Bury St Edmunds police investigation centre Picture: ARCHANT
A 28-year-old man has appeared in court charged with a string of driving and drugs offences after a police pursuit ending in a collision off the A14.
Aiden Karolak is accused of dangerous driving, drink-driving, driving without insurance, driving otherwise in accordance with a licence, failing to stop for police, possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and possession of cannabis.
Karolak appeared in custody at Suffolk Magistrates' Court, in Ipswich, via video link from Bury St Edmunds police investigation centre on Monday morning.
He gave no indication of plea to the alleged offences and was remanded in custody to appear at Ipswich Crown Court next month.
Prosecutor Wayne Ablett said the charges related to a "pursuit" resulting in a collision between a police car, a tree surgeon's truck and a Ford Fiesta - allegedly driven dangerously by Karolak - shortly after midnight on Friday.
Mr Ablett said packages found in close proximity to the scene were alleged to contain 28 grammes of crack cocaine - with a street value of more than £2,500.
He said the alleged offence carried a starting point for sentencing of four-and-a-half years' custody and was unsuitable for summary trial by magistrates.
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The pursuit is alleged to have started in Sparhawk Street, Bury St Edmunds, and moved onto the A14 eastbound.
It was said to have ended in a collision involving a stationary vehicle belonging to a tree surgeon clearing debris from the road off junction 45 at Blackthorpe.
Karolak is alleged to have driven with 53 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - exceeding the limit of 35mcg.
A quantity of cannabis was allegedly found following a search of an address in Bury St Edmunds.
Jacqueline Upton, representing Karolak, made no representations concerning venue for the case to be heard, but applied for magistrates to grant conditional bail in the meantime.
Karolak, a fencer and landscape gardener, of Horsecroft Road, Bury St Edmunds, was remanded in custody until a plea and trial preparation hearing at Ipswich Crown Court on November 25.
