Three London teenagers who stole a car in the city and drove it to Cambridge without licence or cheap car insurance were arrested in the early hours of Monday, September 18th 2006.
Police caught up with them after a 90 mph chase through Cambridge streets ended with a spectacular crash.
The Vauxhall Omega had been reported stolen at 9pm the previous evening. Cambridge police initially pulled over 19-year-old Michael Ryan, the driver, for a broken headlight, but by the time they matched the car to the report he was speeding away.
Members of the Cambridge vehicle squad gave chase as the Londoners made for the city airport.
Ryan was driving dangerously fast; at times touching 90 mph through the winding city streets. He lost control of the car on Airport Way, careered across a roundabout island and rammed into a tree.
Ryan and his two passengers - Paul Noakes, 22, and an as yet unnamed 15-year-old - escaped the crash without significant injury and were taken into custody.
"Travelling at these sorts of speeds in a built-up area is extremely dangerous and they were lucky not to be seriously injured," said Det Sgt Damian Speare, head of the squad who made the arrests.
"This was an excellent result for the vehicle crime team," he added. "These people came to Cambridge intent on committing crime and our work has prevented them from doing that."
In court, all three defendants admitted aggravated vehicle-taking. Ryan confessed to driving without a licence or young driver car insurance, and Noakes, who had stolen a car stereo at some point on the trip, confessed to the theft.
Mike Page, spokesman for the cheap car insurance specialists at Hoot, said: "One thing that puzzles me is why the lads were making for Cambridge airport.
"We know they had no driving documents on them, no licences or motor insurance details, but I wonder if they took passports. Maybe they were trying to flee the country."