A drink-driver who hit 109mph during a pursuit with police in a Cumbrian town and on the A66 has been jailed for 10 months.
Carlisle Crown Court heard today that Tinashi Wilson, 26, was behind the wheel of a silver Peugeot bearing false number plates when he came to the attention of officers in Workington just before 2am on April 30.
Wilson initially stopped but as PCs approached he took off, triggering a high speed chase during which he travelled at twice the 30mph limit in Workington and then 109mph on the A66.
Over the course of eight miles as Wilson motored towards Cockermouth, he travelled on the wrong side of the road forcing oncoming vehicles to stop, sped through red lights, across solid white lines and went the wrong way across roundabouts.
Three police patrol vehicles gave chase and attempted to stop him entering Cockermouth. As Wilson attempted to head back towards Workington, a skilled and courageous police driver made a tactical stop which forced him to lose control of the Peugeot.
“He briefly rolled his vehicle on to its side before it righted itself on to all four wheels again,” said prosecutor Brendan Burke.
Wilson, of Slatefell Drive, Cockermouth, was arrested and in court the next day admitted a raft of charges.
These included dangerous driving, drink-driving having been almost three times the limit, no insurance, failing to stop for a PC, no insurance and illegally having an offensive weapon in public after a baseball bat was found in his car.
His lawyer, Jeff Smith, conceded the offending was appalling, for which there was no explanation nor justification.
Passing sentence, Recorder Julian Shaw also ordered that Wilson should serve a three-year driving ban when released from custody. “This was an extremely bad incident of dangerous driving,” said the judge.
“You were fortunate indeed that no-one was injured and, to the point, that you didn’t kill yourself, driving as badly impaired as you were.” He added: “You put police officers at risk; that is unacceptable.”
