JAILED & BANNED
Two danger drivers, who both sped away from chasing police, sent behind bars
A "maniac" danger driver who continued on the road even after police burst three of his tyres with a stinger device has been put behind bars.
David Atkinson, 24, was already banned from the roads when he bought a Volvo in an act of 'lunacy' and got behind the wheel while high on cocaine.
When police tried to pull him over in Sunderland, he put his foot down in a desperate bid to escape, travelling at around 80mph in residential areas and creating such a high level of peril, police had to pull out of the pursuit twice.
At Newcastle Crown Court, Atkinson, of Jacques Street, Pallion, Sunderland, pleaded guilty to charges of dangerous driving, driving whiled is qualified, dr iving under the influence of drugs, failing to stop, no insurance and possessing class A drugs.
Judge Julie Cl emits on jailed him for 14 months.
He described him driving like a ‘maniac’, adding it was ‘fortunate you didn't seriously hurt or kill another road user or, indeed, yourself ’.
The judge told him: "You drove at ridiculous speeds, up to 80mph in a 30 limit.
"This pursuit lasted more than 18 minutes, it was dark and there were other road users and vehicles put at risk by you.
"It was extremely dangerous and you are fortunate you didn' t seriously
hurt or kill another road user or, indeed, yourself.
"You had drugs in your system while you were driving like a maniac."
Prosecutor Liam O'Brien told the court it was just after midnight on January 11 that police saw Atkinson driving a Volvo V70 and decided to follow.
Atkinson sped up then refused to stop when indicated to do so.
Mr O'Brien told the court: "For a period of nearly 20 minutes, he drove in an
appallingly dangerous manner.
"He drove at well in excess of the speed limit and was doing around 80mph in a 30 zone in residential estates.
"He drove straight through a series of red traffic lights, nearly colliding with several other vehicles and drove on the wrong side of the carriageway.
"The driving was so dangerous, on two occasions the police deemed it necessary to abandon the pursuit.
"He only stopped after a stinger was deployed and knocked out three of his tyres but even then he continued to drove for some time on the south bound carriageway of the A19, before coming to a stop."
Atkinson tried to throw away two bags of cocaine before he was arrested and was found to be over the limit for the drug.
The court heard he has nine previous convictions, including for driving otherwise than in accordance
with a licence and no insurance, in December 2018.
Nick Peacock, defending, told the court: "It's an appalling piece of driving, the defendant can' t get around that at all.
"He can offer no explanation why, being a disqualified driver, he decided to purchase a motor vehicle. It just seems utter lunacy and he accepts that.
"He struggles with maturity but there's some hope this man will start complying."