A drugged-up driver who took police on a 20-minute high-speed chase around residential streets has walked free from court.

Michael Miller ‘panicked’ when he saw a police car with its blue lights activated and sped off in Audi TT.

The 37-year-old reached speeds of up to 90mph in 30 zones before attempting to runaway when he drove into a dead-end street in Middlesbrough.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the father-of-three even managed to keep driving when a stinger had taken out one of the tyres on his sports car in the early hours of December 22 last year.

Read more: Driver fined more than £800 because he refused to talk to police officers

Matthew Hopkins, prosecuting, said the chase started when Miller sped away from the Blue Bell service station after a police car turned on its blue lights and siren after being called in an unrelated incident.

“Over the course of the next 20 minutes, the drive led police on a dangerous chase around Middlesbrough where he brake-tested the police vehicle twice when he went from 70mph to a complete stop,” he said.

Mr Hopkins said Miller forced other drivers to move out of the way as he tore around junctions and almost collided with a parked car.

Miller, of Calder Grove, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving under the influence of drugs and possession of Class C drugs.

Driver panicked

Jonathan Gittins, in mitigation, said his client ‘panicked’ when he saw the police car as hadn’t been in trouble for around a decade and feared what the consequences of his arrest would lead to.

“He said he was so ashamed of what he had done that he couldn’t watch the police video (of his driving),” he said.

“He made the ridiculous decision to drive off in the manner that he did and leading the police on the pursuit that he did at a time when his panic was increasing. He knows he should have pulled over, but he couldn’t face the consequences at the time.”

Judge Christopher Smith sentenced Miller to 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months and was saved from immediate custody by the letter from his partner.

He said: “This was a bad bit of dangerous driving. You drove at high-speed in the dark in a police pursuit. You ignored their sirens and blue lights; you drove that Audi TT at grossly excessive speeds in residential areas.

Miller was also ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work, attend 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days, and was banned from driving for 15 months.

Judge Smith warned Miller that if he failed to follow the conditions of the suspended sentence or committed any further offence, he would go to prison.

He added: “Your partner can write as many letters as she likes but it won’t save you.”

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