A BANNED driver who fled police at 140 mph in a faulty Mercedes during a lengthy chase through North Yorkshire has been jailed.

Four police cars were involved in the pursuit in the evening of April 8 when officers were on the lookout for nitrous oxide suppliers, said Michael Cahill, prosecuting.

Hashim Shan, 21, had two defective tyres on his Mercedes and two months earlier had been banned for driving without insurance.

“The car wasn’t fit to be on the road,” the Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris told Shan. “This is one of the highest speeds which I have ever seen, most of it on a clear dual carriageway. It is just luck you are not there charged with killing somebody by your driving. You drove like an idiot.

“You have shown a complete disregard for the laws of the road.”

The judge said Shan had put the lives of other road users, police and his female passenger at risk during the 20-mile pursuit along the A19.

“You stay off the road,” he told him.

Shan was jailed for 12 months, banned from driving for two years and ordered to take an extended driving test before driving alone again. He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified, driving without insurance, failure to stop and two charges of having defective tyres..

For him, Eleanor Durdy said he was “genuinely sorry” for the way he had been driving. He had panicked because his girlfriend who was his passenger had been experiencing stomach pains and he had wanted to get her to hospital quickly.

He had then panicked again when he saw the police car behind him.

“He knows there is no excuse for driving at these speeds on any road,” said the defence barrister.

Mr Cahill said police acting on a tip-off that people supplying nitrous oxide were on the A19 just north of Thirsk when they saw Shan’s Mercedes and tried to stop him at Exelby Services.

Shan, who lives in Emerson Avenue, Middlesbrough, braked down before speeding up again and making off northwards.

“The Mercedes reached speeds in excess of 140 mph,” said Mr Cahill. .

Four police cars followed Shan to the Thornaby junction with the A1130 when Shan left the dual carriageway and lost control.

He hit crash barriers and was arrested.

Police checks of the vehicle after his arrest revealed two of the tyres had insufficient tread.

Shan was banned from driving for six months. on February 2 this year after he was convicted for the second time of driving without insurance because he had at least 12 penalty points. On that occasion, he had been driving in Middlesbrough.