Man sentenced for dangerous driving and other offences

Man sentenced for dangerous driving and other offences

A serving prisoner who absconded while on temporary release from HMP Hollesley Bay has been sentenced after a dangerous attempt to evade police.

Sonny Loveridge, aged 28, was sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment at Ipswich Crown Court today (Thursday 24 September) after a guilty plea at an earlier hearing.

He failed to return to prison on 20 May 2026 after being granted temporary release and was unlawfully at large for more than three weeks. He is currently serving an 11 years and 8 months sentence for serious offences, including robbery and causing death by dangerous driving. 

On 11 June 2026, officers located Loveridge driving a silver Volkswagen Golf near Fordham. When police attempted to stop the vehicle, he failed to comply and instead drove dangerously in an effort to escape.

During the incident, Loveridge deliberately drove into a police vehicle and collided with a member of the public's car, creating a significant risk to officers and other road users. His actions could have resulted in serious injury.

Specially trained officers used tactical measures to safely bring the vehicle to a stop. 

Investigations confirmed that Loveridge was disqualified from driving and had no valid insurance. He was arrested for absconding from prison and driving offences.

 At court Loveridge pleaded guilty to the following:

As well as the prison sentence, Loveridge was also banned from driving for 28 months and ordered to take an extended re-test.

Sergeant George Laflin of the Sentinel West Team said:  "This was an outstanding team effort and demonstrates the professionalism, coordination and rapid decision making required by officers when dealing with high-risk situations.

“The overwhelming evidence that was secured on the night resulted in a guilty plea being entered at the earliest opportunity.

“This arrest highlights our ability to work effectively across force boundaries and reinforces our commitment to proactively policing the road network to identify, disrupt and bring high-harm offenders to justice.

“I would also like to thank members of the public who provided information that contributed to Loveridge's arrest and conviction. Community intelligence remains vital in helping us target those involved in serious criminality and ensuring offenders are held accountable for their actions.”

The stop was led by the Sentinel West ANPR team. The Sentinel teams are based in the west and south of the county and provide enhanced coverage of Suffolk's road network, proactively disrupting serious and organised criminality while increasing police visibility. Through the use of intelligence-led tactics and specialist capabilities, Sentinel officers work to prevent crime, target offenders and protect communities across Suffolk.

A picture of Loveridge can be seen here - Man sentenced for dangerous driving and other offences | Suffolk Constabulary