Former Blackpool, Cardiff & Sheffield Wednesday striker sentenced after car crash and fleeing from police

Former Blackpool striker Gary Madine has been handed a suspended prison sentence after crashing his car and attempting to evade police capture.

The 33-year-old, who was released by the Seasiders at the end of last season, was sentenced to six months suspended for 18 months, with 250 hours of unpaid work and a 12-month driving ban, after appearing at Newcastle Crown Court.

The ruling follows Madine’s crashing of his Range Rover in his home town of Birtley, Gateshead, in the early hours of April 23, 2023.

Being pursued by police, he sped down narrow residential roads before smashing the vehicle he was driving into a parked white Ford Focus at 1.50am on the morning in question.

Dashcam footage released by Northumbria Police then shows Madine jumping out of his Range Rover, accompanied by a passenger, and fleeing the scene.

The forward, who has also played for Cardiff, Bolton and Sheffield Wednesday, was charged with driving a motor vehicle dangerously, driving in a public place without due care and attention, failing to stop after a road accident, failing to stop when required by a constable or traffic warden, and failing to give information relating to his ID when required.

The incident happened while Madine remained a Blackpool player, albeit while sidelined because of injury. The previous month saw the frontman suffer an ACL injury just 23 seconds into the Seasiders’ 2-0 defeat at Bristol City on March 11.

That proved to be the well-travelled forward’s last game for the club, with Blackpool failing to take up a 12-month option on his Bloomfield Road contract upon the expiry of his then deal.

Madine made 101 appearances for the Seasiders on his latest spell with the club. He scored 23 goals and recorded five assists after arriving for an undisclosed fee from Cardiff in January 2020. Last season saw the free agent score four goals in 27 appearances.

Madine pleaded guilty to the charges. His solicitor, Shaun Routledge said: ‘2023 has been a difficult year for him, his relationship of some years ending and he suffered a serious injury which led to nine months of rehabilitation and not being able to perform the job he has done for many years. He was feeling very low in April.’

Routledge  added: ‘He (Madine) is keen to get back to his profession, it is dependent on full recovery from the injury. He has had offers from other clubs.

‘Blackpool have been very supportive in terms of his rehabilitation. He realises what he did was ridiculously stupid.’