Corsa driver tried to ram police car off the road during high-speed Leeds chase

Reece Freeman was jailed at Leeds Crown Court this week, despite telling the court heard he had since turned to religion and was determined to transform his life.

He has 17 previous convictions for 44 offences. The 22-year-old appeared in court via video link from HMP Leeds, where he was being held on remand.

He admitted charges of dangerous driving, having no insurance, failing to provide a specimen for analysis, breach of a restraining order and possession of cannabis.

Outlining the case in chronological order, prosecutor Safaraz Ahad said police had pulled Freeman over in Yeadon on the evening of September 23 last year. They found a small bag of cannabis and a rolled joint in the car.

For the breach of the restraining order, he had been spotted at his ex partner’s home on January 19 this year from which he was ordered to stay away.

Finally, on the evening of January 22, patrolling officers tried to stop Freeman’s silver Vauxhall Corsa in Castleford, but he made off.

He was spotted in Armley at around 12.25am in Armley. He pulled into a Shell petrol station, but when he saw the police he made off with the officers in pursuit.

He reached 75mph in the 30mph Kirkstall Road area near to Cardigan Fields Retail Park, before heading north along Spen Lane.

He was driving on the wrong side of the road, ran through a red light and when the police tried to get past him, he tried to ram the vehicle and push onto the grass verge.

Heading towards Bramhope, he eventually lost control of the car and smashed into a stone wall.

He got out and ran but was detained after a short chase. Two passengers were also detained.

The court heard that he was already on a community order from July of last year for offences including assault on emergency workers during a domestic incident.

Mitigating, Holly Clegg said Freeman, of Queensway, Yeadon, had been on remand since his arrest and had been “making progress”.

She said he was reading the Bible and it had “changed his life”. He suffers from unstable personality disorder and PTSD, she said.

Ms Clegg added: “He has been to prison 10 times, he is a young man and sick of it, he says.

“He wants to get out for his daughter. He grew up in the foster-care system, he does not want that for his daughter.

“He has made huge progress since the commission of these offences.”

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The judge, Recorder Aisha Wadoodi said that Freeman had been “given an opportunity” last year with the community order and “did not take it”.

She said: “The court has been left with no choice but to send you to prison. I urge you to carry on the good work while in prison.”

He was given 14 months’ jail and a driving ban of more than 29 months.

He was also given a new restraining order of five years to keep him away from his ex.