A man who robbed a couple at knifepoint and then led police on a dangerous wrong-way chase has been jailed after being handed a 10-year extended sentence.

Thomas Lacson, 29, pleaded guilty to robbery and dangerous driving and was sentenced by Judge Amanda Rippon at Teesside Crown Court. The custodial part of the sentence is seven years and seven months, of which he must serve two thirds before being considered for parole, followed by two years and five months on licence.

The incident began in the early hours of 30 March, when the victims were leaving a Taco Bell car park off the A66 in South Bank after collecting their food. Lacson, wearing a balaclava and armed with a six-inch kitchen knife, approached them from behind, demanded money and threatened to stab the male victim. When the man said he had no money, Lacson demanded his car keys. As he got into the car, he shouted: "Don't call the police or I'll slash your lass up."

Police later spotted Lacson again on Longlands Road at about 1.15am. During the second pursuit he reached 70mph in a 30mph zone, drove across a grassed area near Tennyson Avenue and at one stage drove towards a police vehicle, narrowly avoiding a collision.

Judge Rippon referred to a recent crash on the A66 in which seven people died, including police officers PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough, after a car was driven the wrong way down the road.

This was not Lacson's first similar offence. He was jailed for eight years and nine months in 2022 for robbery, attempted robbery and dangerous driving. He has 14 previous convictions for 32 offences and had been released on licence only weeks earlier.

[Source: britbrief.co.uk](https://britbrief.co.uk/crime/sentencing/knife-robber-led-wrong-way-police-chase-jailed.html) | [Source: mypresstoday.com](http://mypresstoday.com/gb/en/post/2670/357940378/i-ll-slash-your-lass-up-robber-s-threat-to-taco-bell-customers-before-wrong-way-police-chase.html)