The fall of the tall guy as he’s banned from driving

A 6ft 6in car dealer who drove a small convertible while sitting on the headrest, steering with with his knees and waving to other drivers narrowly escaped jail, a judge said.

Adam Elliott, 26, was also stood up at times as he drove the Ford Ka through Newcastle city centre, with his head well above the windscreen.

He admitted dangerous driving at a previous hearing and Judge Robert Adamsat Newcastle Crown Court, handed him a nine-month jail term, suspended for 18 months, fined him £100 and ordered him to pay £1,500 prosecution costs.

He will be disqualified from driving for two years and will carry out 150 hours of rehabilitation activity.

The judge said he was “just persuaded” to suspend the sentence, but told him to grow up.

Elliott’s barrister Nick Cartmell said: “It was an act of complete buffoonery.”

Kevin Wardlaw, prosecuting, said another driver spotted Elliott on the A184 Felling bypass heading towards the Tyne Bridge on January 26 last year, and was so concerned by his driving that he gave police a running commentary over the phone as he followed him.

Traffic cameras picked Elliott up driving the Ka he was selling.

Elliott was stopped by a traffic officer in the city’s West End and after initially being jovial, he became “aggressive and petulant”, the court heard.

Elliott has 69 previous convictions, including 13 offences of driving while disqualified, 18 of driving without insurance, thefts, dangerous driving and fraud. Mr Cartmell said Elliott has lost his car sales business and is now a tyre dealer. Adam Elliott