A man who chased down two burglars has opened up about the 'moment of madness' that changed his life forever.
In 2019, Adam White was at his home in Leighton Buzzard when he spotted two thieves making off with a stolen motorbike.
The 34-year-old then gave chase, running out of his house and jumping into his car after them.
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However, approaching a sharp bend, Adam lost control of his car and ploughed into the two burglars, Taylor Benford and Ryan Paul, with the pair ending up in hospital.
The dad was later convicted of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and was sentenced to 22 months in prison.
The tragic incident led to Adam losing his £60,000 a year job and his unborn child.
Speaking to the Sunday People about the aftermath of his conviction, he said: "I will regret what I did for the rest of my life. It was a moment of madness. Thank God no one died. I have paid a high price."
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Recalling his time inside, Adam went on: “The first week was so hard, I couldn’t stop crying.
“I got through it by thinking about getting home to my kids. I had two other people in my cell and I felt cockroaches scurrying over my bed covers at night. We were all sharing one toilet, it was degrading. I hated it.
“My worst moment was when a cellmates went crazy and smashed the place up. He ripped off the toilet seat and threw it at the guards. He also threw the TV at them.
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“I was sat in the corner of the cell thinking he was going to attack me. He also started self-harming, slicing his arms with a razor blade.
"I also saw fights inside. I was stood at my cell door and saw two guys swinging at each other down the landing. There was a kettle on the floor. They had put fabric softener in the kettle and boiled it.
“When the fabric softener boils it goes gloopy and sticks to people like napalm. I was locked up alongside drug dealers and murderers – some of the other inmates called me a ‘civilian’ and said I didn’t belong in jail.”
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The horrific ordeal led his partner Lindsay, 34, to have an abortion.
“Having the abortion sent me into a massive depression," she said.
“I still feel incredibly guilty. I blame the burglars. They forced Adam and I into making that decision.”
Adam said: “It was sickening having to make the decision to abort the baby. I wish we had a little brother or sister to show the other kids.”
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He was released from prison back in September, and his arrest was included in a recent episode of 24 Hours in Police Custody.
And since the episode aired, his social media has been flooded with messages of support.
A GoFundMe set up in his name has also raised more than £160,000.
“We are overwhelmed by the support we have had through the GoFundMe," said Adam, who now has a new job as an electrician.
"This clears the loan for our barrister fees and it means the kids can have a Christmas this year. And we will give some of the donations to the charity Sands – The Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society.”
He added: “If someone comes to my house again I’m not going to chase them.”
A police spokesman said: “This episode is an important reminder that people must not take the law into their own hands. The best thing to do when a crime is happening is to call 999.”
Dominic Smithers