A BANNED motorist, who took his wife’s car after a row, led police on a high-speed chase while over the drink-drive limit.

Zach Martin Melton, 24, was yesterday (Thursday, May 9) jailed for 19 months for the dangerous escapade at the wheel of the Kia Sedona, on Tuesday, April 16.

Durham Crown Court heard that Melton’s wife contacted police to report he had taken the car, threatening to “burn it out”.

Victoria Lamballe, prosecuting, said an officer in a marked police car spotted him in the Sedona and activated blue lights and siren in an unsuccessful attempt to persuade him to stop, at about 7.20pm.

But Melton accelerated to 70-miles per hour on a 30-mph road.

Miss Lamballe said he reached 100-mph on the A167, carrying out dangerous undertaking and overtaking manoeuvres.

Other patrol officers took up the chase and tried to “box” in the Sedona, on the A689, but he refused to slow down, bumping into the rear of one patrol car two or three times.

Miss Lamballe said he was eventually stopped and gave a lowest breath-test reading of 61mg of alcohol, compared to the legal limit for driving of 35mg.

Melton told officers he “panicked” and drove off, aware police wanted him to stop, apologising for the manner of his driving.

Miss Lamballe said his previous offences include driving while disqualified, for which he received a 12-week suspended prison sentence last August.

Melton, 24, of Yorkshire Place, Bishop Auckland, admitted driving with excess alcohol, dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, driving while disqualified, without insurance, with insufficient tread on one tyre and breaching a suspended sentence.

Christopher Dorman O’Gowan, mitigating, said Melton, a plasterer, took the car, after the domestic row, knowing he was disqualified.

“When he was stopped he didn’t prevaricate. He admitted everything and was apologetic.”

Jailing him, Judge Christopher Prince told Melton: “You drove in extremely dangerous fashion, causing other people to seek to avoid your vehicle.

“You have to appreciate the risk posed to members of the public driving in this manner.”

Melton was also banned from driving for three years.