Cocaine dealer arrested after police chase through south Leeds is locked up for five years

Aaron Banks was locked up for five years after a court heard he had been selling the drugs in order to fund his own habit.

Leeds Crown Court heard police officers saw Banks driving his Saab car "erratically" in the Belle Isle area of the city on February 23 this year.

The officers signalled for the defendant to stop but he sped off, reaching 60mph in a 20mph zone on Middleton Road.

The pursuit continued through the Hunslet area where Banks drove on the wrong side of the road on Sussex Avenue and narrowly avoided a head-on collision with another vehicle.

Banks went through a red light on Low Road and ignored a no entry sign.

The defendant went through two more red lights on Pontefract Road before attempting to drive the wrong way onto a motorway slip road.

Banks was unable to join the motorway due to oncoming traffic and ran from the vehicle.

He was arrested by the police officers after a short chase.

The car was searched and eight bags of cocaine worth £200 was recovered.

Banks was arrested in possession of a man bag which contained £1,210 in cash.

Two mobile phones were found in the car.

One contained text messages arranging to supply drugs to others.

Banks, 31, of Middleton Road, Belle Isle, pleaded guilty to possessing a class A drug with intent to supply, dangerous driving and driving while disqualified.

He has previous convictions for wounding with intent, racially aggravated assault and criminal damage.

Eleanor Durdy, mitigating, said Banks pleaded guilty to the offences at an early stage and was sorry for what he had done.

Ms Durdy said: "He has a relationship with drugs himself that needs to be addressed."

The barrister said Banks has an addiction to crack cocaine and began dealing to pay off a debt.