Banned driver jailed after crashing car during high-speed police chase in Stourton

Kyle Stanhope was jailed for 12 months over the incident in Stourton on September 22 last year

Leeds Crown Court heard Stanhope has previous convictions for driving offences and was banned from driving at the time of the incident.

Officers in two unmarked police cars were sent to Stourton after receiving reports of an uninsured Ford Focus being driven in the area.

The officers were driving along Haigh Park Road when Stanhope drove past them in the opposite direction.

They turned around and followed Stanhope on to Pontefract Road.

The defendant went through a red light and drove at 95mph towards the M1.

Police lost sight of the car but when it came back into view it had crashed into railings at the side of the road.

Stanhope and a front seat passenger got out and ran off but were arrested nearby.

Stanhope, 25, of Holmsley Walk, Oulton, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving.

The court heard he has previous convictions for burglary, driving offences and breaching court orders.

At the time of the offence he was out of prison on licence.

Eddison Flint, mitigating, said Stanhope accepted he would have to go to prison for the offence because of his criminal record.

Mr Flint said Stanhope did not stop because the officers were driving unmarked police cars and he feared he was being chased by others.

Mr Flint: "The defendant has had some involvement with some unsavoury groups in the Leeds area and feared that someone was pursuing him because the blue lights were off and the cars were unmarked.

"When the defendant realised, it was too late. It was a short while after that when he crashed."

Stanhope was also banned from driving for three years and six months.

Judge Simon Batiste said: "The driving involved in this case was of a dreadful type."