West Yorkshire driver tried to outrun police helicopter in a Fiat Scudo while high on cocaine through Kinsley, Fitzwilliam and Havercroft

A banned driver who was high on cocaine as he tried to outrun police in his van has been jailed.
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Mathew Derrick Nunn was behind the wheel of a Fiat Scudo when police tried to pull him over on Wakefield Road near Kinsley at around 11.20am on October 26 last year.

Prosecuting at Leeds Crown Court, Jessica Heggie said the 38-year-old then refused to stop and accelerated away, pursued by the police car and then the police helicopter.

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Leeds Crown Court and Wakefield Road, near Kinsley, Wakefield. Pictures: Google/JPIMedia.Leeds Crown Court and Wakefield Road, near Kinsley, Wakefield. Pictures: Google/JPIMedia.
Leeds Crown Court and Wakefield Road, near Kinsley, Wakefield. Pictures: Google/JPIMedia.
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He reached speeds up to 60mph through Kinsley, Fitzwilliam and Havercroft while narrowly avoiding vehicles. He also ran a red light, overtook other road users, mounted pavements and was forced to avoid pedestrians in his bid to escape.

The chase took him along Gorton Street, Tombridge Crescent, Garmil Head Lane, Swine Lane, Brunswick Street, Common Ings, Madeley Road and St James' Court.

He eventually turned down a dirt track and the pursuing officer was forced to abandon the chase, however, the police helicopter kept sight of him and directed officers towards his position.

He got out of the van behind St James' Court in Havercroft and made off on foot, climbing over a fence while carrying four cans of lager.

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He was soon apprehended and failed a test for being over the legal limit for cocaine.

It was also found that the he was already banned and had no insurance.

He admitted dangerous driving, being over the limit for drugs, driving while banned and without insurance.

The court was told that he had 17 previous convictions, including driving over the prescribed limit from 2007, and dangerous driving in 2009, for which he was banned and ordered to sit an extended re-test, which he never did.

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Mitigating, Nadim Bashir, said Nunn's best defence was that he entered early guilty pleas.

He added: "Thankfully, no pedestrian was hit or injured and no vehicle was hit or damaged.

"It was short lived and he brought it to a stop."

Mr Bashir conceded that Nunn, of Station Road, Ryhill, already has failures to comply with court orders on his record, but said offending was "fairly low-level".

The judge, Recorder Andrew Latimer told Nunn: "You are somebody who understands the penalties for dangerous driving and when you breach court orders.

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"This was prolonged bad driving in a police pursuit. Only a custodial sentence can be justified."

He was jailed for six months and given a new 27-month driving ban. He will still need to sit an extended re-test to get his licence back.