THIS dash cam footage captures the terrifying moment a driver 'intentionally slammed on his brakes' putting the lives of innocent motorists at risk on the M56.

Harvey Schofield appeared at Chester Magistrates’ Court on February 22 where he was handed a 12-week suspended prison sentence, 200 hours of community service and a £620 fine after being found guilty of dangerous driving. 

Schofield, 53, from Offerton, was also disqualified from driving for 12 months and ordered to take an extended driving test. 

An investigation was launched after a concerned member of the public submitted dash cam footage which showed him driving dangerously as he travelled on the M56 in Cheshire on March 30. 

The case is believed to be the first of its kind in Cheshire where a motorist has been prosecuted for dangerous driving as a result of dash cam footage. 

PC Liz Thompson, from the Serious and Complex Collision Investigation Unit at Cheshire Police, said: “Firstly I would like to thank the member of the public who submitted the footage, without their support this prosecution would not have been possible. 

“The footage clearly showed that Schofield deliberately undertook the tipper truck, then for no apparent reason deliberately pulled out into the path of the vehicle and intentionally slammed on his brakes. 

“Thankfully the driver of the truck was able to stop his vehicle in time, and did not collide with Schofield’s car. 

“However, I have no doubt that had it not been for the driver's quick-thinking, there could have been a serious collision, and the lives of innocent motorists could have been put at risk.”

David Keane, police and crime commissioner for Cheshire, added: “Dashcam footage is being used more and more by police to crack down on bad driving and help save lives. 

“It is one of the innovative solutions police can use to prosecute those who are driving dangerously to ensure their actions don’t lead to serious injury or loss of life in the future. 

“I would encourage residents of Cheshire, who have captured evidence of people committing traffic offences, to submit it to Cheshire Constabulary to help reduce the number of serious incidents on our roads.”

Anyone looking to submit dashcam footage of incidents that have occurred on the Cheshire road network is urged to visit cheshire.police.uk/advice-and-support/roads-and-vehicle-safety/submit-dashcam-footage/ .