Banned driver drove on footpath during police chase in Leeds

Paul Furbank failed to stop for police after he was spotted at the wheel of a Ford Mondeo on York Road, Leeds Crown Court told.

Camille Morland, prosecuting, said Furbank drove on the wrong side of the road on Lupton Avenue to get round a queue of traffic waiting at a pedestrian crossing.

Ms Morland said Furbank, 39, went on to cul-de-sac Torre Lane and mounted a kerb before driving over a footpath at around 10.30am on January 22 2020.

He drove back to York Road and travelled at around 60mph in a 40mph zone.

Ms Morland said Furbank sped into a car park and struck another car before he got out of the Mondeo and ran off.

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Police arrested Furbank after he got into a taxi in a bid to escape.

Furbank, of Marshall Street, Leeds, admitted dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and having no insurance.

He has previous convictions for taking a vehicle without the owner's consent and driving while banned and with no insurance in 2003; driving while banned in October 2004; dangerous driving in 2013; driving while banned and with no insurance in 2014 and failing to provide a breath specimen and driving while banned and with no insurance in 2017.

Jailing Furbank for 18 months, Judge Tom Bayliss QC told him: "You have a long history of motoring offences. This is more of the same.

"You simply don't learn from appearances before the court.

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"You went into various cul-de-sacs in an effort to evade police. At one point you cut through a footpath between two businesses.

"You did that at 30mph. Obviously anyone on the footpath would have been at risk."

Judge Bayliss banned Furbank from driving for 27 months.

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