A dangerous driver reversed his van into an officer's car before leading him on a high-speed chase.
The police helicopter was deployed as Adam Hunt, 21, led officers on a chase where he reached 70mph an hour in residential streets. Prosecutor Joel Wootten told Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday, October 28: "It was around 1.50am on the 17th of June this year when a PC on patrol was alerted to a Vauxhall van that was driven down a street the wrong way.
"He later saw the same van, which was driven by the defendant. He followed the defendant at a safe distance for some time but as he approached Coal Road he broke sharply and reversed at speed towards the PC. He reversed out of harm's way."
The court heard Hunt, of William Street, Morley, did that a second time before speeding off.
Mr Wootten said: "The PC activated his lights and sirens and a pursuit began. The defendant proceeded at 70mph around sharp bends and continued at speed, crossing a crossroads without slowing and without stopping at a stop sign. At Shadwell Lane a unit was deployed and stingers deflated some tyres but he continued to drive at 60mph in a 40mph zone.
"He arrived on Linton Grove at a slower speed. As he turned into Linton Avenue, the PC saw his front tyre come away and he was driving on the wheel rim."
In Brookhill Avenue, Hunt and his passenger - a man in his 30s - ran from the van, which collided with a wall and a woman's Ford KA. The court heard the woman had to pay an excess of £150 on her home insurance for the wall, and an excess of £500 on her car insurance for her vehicle, which was then written off.
Hunt and his passenger were found a short distance away. He went onto admit dangerous driving, driving without a licence and driving without insurance. It was said the van was found to be a vehicle which had been stolen on May 28 from a property in Ossett.
Mitigating, Graham Blower, said an original pre-sentence report, and an updated one, had been handed to the court. He said: "It was a poor piece of driving by a young man which didn't have a licence or insurance. The passenger, who I will deal with very shortly and simply...The passenger was mid-30s and a man who had asked the defendant to drive what he said was his van.
"He [Hunt] was asked how he found himself to be in the vehicle and he can't answer as far as his driving is concerned and I have asked him and it may be he doesn't want to give the answer that we possibly think is behind it but I have asked whether there was anything from the passenger that put him in this van and whether this was something like what happened in the past like peer pressure and he says no."
His Honour Judge Khokhar handed Hunt an 13-month sentence suspended for 18 months and told him he must carry out 15 days rehabilitation activity requirement and a six-month curfew between the hours of 8.30pm and 6am. He was disqualified from driving for two years.
The judge told him this is his "last chance."
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