A DRIVER who blamed his excitable bull terrier for sitting on the accelerator during a high-speed police pursuit was yesterday jailed for 13 months.

Judge Christopher Prince dismissed Jordan Winn’s account as “utterly ludicrous”, and said it was merely an attempt to account for his “extremely dangerous” driving as he tried to escape the pursuing patrol car.

Durham Crown Court heard that during the chase, at 5pm on October 19 last year, Winn averaged 67-miles per hour on a 30-limit stretch of road, but at one stage the police driver estimated the defendant’s Volvo S60 “bordered” on 100-mph.

The court was told Winn suddenly turned right, off Whitehills Way, Chester-le-Street, narrowly missing an oncoming car, containing a couple, their three-year-old daughter and ten-year-old niece.

Winn finally slowed to a halt on The Avenues, and, when the officer opened the driver’s door, a black and white Staffordshire bull terrier was seen jumping out, running round the car.

He told police at the time, and maintained the story at a recent trial of issue, that the excitable dog, Buster, which was unrestrained, became caught between the steering wheel and the foot controls as he was being pursued by the police car.

Winn said Buster, who he had just collected, must have sat on the accelerator, causing the car to gain speed, as he struggled to remove it from the footwell.

Judge Prince said: “I have rejected the defendant’s utterly ludicrous account as to how this happened.

“He said Buster was on the accelerator.

“The dog has nothing to do with it. He was driving the car and, thus far, he has told a pack of lies as to what happened that day.”

Paul Currer, for Winn, said: “It would seem the dog was something of a distraction and clearly should not have been there.”

The court heard 23-year-old Winn, formerly of Hilda Terrace, Chester-le-Street, but now said to be of Murray Park, Stanley, has a previous conviction for careless driving, for which he served a six-month ban.

He had his licence back less than a year at the time of the latest offence.

Mr Currer said Winn, who admitted a charge of dangerous driving, has knuckled down, has a job and home, and is expecting his first child next March.

Jailing him, however, Judge Prince said anyone trying to outpace police in such a dangerous manner in a built-up area, should expect to receive a prison sentence.

He also banned Winn from driving for three years.