Drug-addled motorist drove at 'eye-watering' speeds through Leeds at more than three times the limit

Jermaine Pyke crashed after losing control of his Vauxhall Corsa in March of last year while over the drink-drive limit, but was then spotted behind the wheel of a car three months later and led police on another death-defying chase in which he drove at more than 70 mph in 20mph zones.

Admitting a raft of driving offences at Leeds Crown Court this week, he was jailed for 27 months.

Police initially spotted Pyke's Corsa on the Beeston ring road on March 16 and tried to pull it over due to a defective headlight. He refused to stop and tried to speed away, overtaking a HGV on a roundabout and ran red lights before losing control, crashing into a large street sign and then trees.

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The 37-year-old tried to get out and run but was detained by a pursuing police dog. He blew 50 mcgs of alcohol in 100 mls of breath. The legal limit is 35 mcgs, so he was almost one-and-a-half-times the legal limit. He was also found in possession of a small quantity of cannabis.

Having been arrested, interviewed and bailed, he was then seen again on June 16 in Hunslet and drove at high speeds again to get away. He was eventually stopped again, and was found to be over the limit for cannabis and cocaine.

Pyke, of Barncroft Drive, Seacroft, admitted two counts of dangerous driving, two of driving while banned, drink driving, two counts of drug driving, having no insurance possession of cannabis.

He was previously banned from driving in October 2022. A probation report in Pyke suggested he had been suffering from depression at the time of his latest offending, after the breakdown of his relationship, but knew he should not have been behind the wheel.

Mitigating, Martin Morrow said Pyke was "devastated by his behaviour" and was now "desperate to improve his situation" and added: "There's a genuine wish to change in my submission."

Judge Andrew Stubbs KC told Pyke: "You drove at eye-watering speeds and over the limit for cocaine and cannabis." As well as his jail sentence, Pyke was also given a new driving ban of 62 months.