'Fit Felon' Jailed Again After Mugshot Earned Him Fans Online
Fans of a 'fit' felon - yes, you read that right - will likely be heartbroken to hear he has been jailed again after his police mugshot earned him dozens of compliments.
Jonathan Cahill, 37, was the subject of an appeal shared by the West Yorkshire Police in January after being accused of breaching the terms of his release from prison.
Police attached a mugshot of Cahill, as is common with such appeals, but rather than promises to keep an eye out or news of potential sightings many Facebook users responded to gush over Cahill's looks, dubbing him 'fit' and jokingly asking whether he was wanted for 'breaking hearts or houses'.
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"Christ almighty. he can hide under my bed," one fan wrote, while another asked: "If I find him can I keep him?"
On Thursday (12 May), Cahill was sentenced to a further 21 months in jail for a dangerous high-speed chase which resulted in the injury of two police officers in April 2021.
At hearing at Leeds Crown Court, prosecutor Jade Edwards said police pursued the Ford Fiesta being driven by Cahill after they saw it drive past them on the wrong side of the road at 4.50am.
Cahill reached speeds of 90mph in a 40mph zone, and continued driving at almost 70mph in a 30mph residential area.
At one point he pulled a 180-degree handbrake turn, which Edwards described to the court as an attempt to ram the police vehicle, before entering a roundabout at 75mph.
The driver tried to enter the M1 motorway on the wrong side of the ride, but police managed to make 'tactical contact' with the car, colliding with Cahill's vehicle and forcing it to come to a stop.
The two police officers were left with minor injuries as a result of the high-speed chase, while damage caused to the marked police car was estimated to be worth £14,000 ($17,000).
Cahill, of Wakefield, initially denied dangerous driving and driving while banned, but later changed his pleas to guilty after a trial date had been set.
The 37-year-old also admitted to failing to provide a breath test or a sample of blood for analysis, and having no insurance.
Cahill has 46 previous convictions for 131 offences, including 14 for driving while banned, 15 for having no insurance and one drink driving, the court heard.
The felon was jailed for 21 months, with Judge Mushtaq Khokhar telling Cahill he was 'frightened' by what he saw in footage of the chase.
Emily Brown