Mum, 24, caught after 120mph police chase when her car blows up

a YOUng mother led police on a car chase at more than 120mph to avoid a breath test, a court heard yesterday.

Megan nolan, 24, panicked when police turned on their sirens and flashing lights after she was caught speeding during a night out.

Instead of pulling over, in a ‘moment of madness’ the mother-of-two accelerated away, weaving in and out of traffic, running red lights and driving her VW Scirocco at high speed.

nolan was forced to stop when her car engine blew up, and she was arrested as she tried to run away.

Jailing her for 12 months, a judge branded her ‘ludicrous’ driving the worst he had ever seen. Manchester Crown Court heard that nolan, who has no previous convictions and was to start work as a teaching assistant next month, had no insurance and had been drinking before the chase.

She admitted dangerous driving and driving without insurance, but was not prosecuted for drink-driving.

nolan, who has children aged three and five, sobbed as Judge Martin Rudland said: ‘This was the worst piece of dangerous driving I have ever witnessed in 15 years on the bench.

‘For over 20 minutes you indulged in the most brazen and sustained piece of driving with police chasing you, sirens going. You had been drinking, which I suspect was the reason you were attempting to evade police by jumping red lights, negotiating junctions, travelling at excessive speeds and weaving throughout traffic.

‘You attained speeds in excess of 120mph. It is only by the largest fortune no person was injured, but people would have been woken by the sirens and lights of the police as they chased you in the course of your risky, selfish and ludicrous driving.’

nolan, of Wythenshawe, Manchester, had been out with friends in Bury on June 4 and was going home at 1am when the chase began.

Officers in a patrol car saw her speeding on the M60 and turned on their siren to get her to pull over.

andrew Mackintosh, prosecuting, said the dangerous driving was caught on CCTV from two police cars.

Police followed nolan as she came off the motorway and sped through two red lights.

She returned to the M60, reaching at least 120mph, before exiting again and running three red lights in a built-up area.

Mr Mackintosh said: ‘It was a pursuit for over 20 minutes. She was forced to pull the car over after it began smoking.’

nolan admitted panicking when the officers put on their lights and sirens, and said she was a ‘stupid idiot.’

Mike Harman, defending, said she could not explain her actions, adding: ‘Everybody has asked her why, and she herself cannot explain it.’

nolan was also disqualified from driving for three years and must take an extended driving test.

‘Risky, ludicrous driving’