A drink driver who took police on a high-speed 30-mile chase was arrested after his car ran out of fuel and he tried to run away across a field.
Michael Gallagher ‘panicked’ when police tried to pull him over in Redcar and sped off towards home going through red lights, the wrong way round a roundabout and smashing through cones in roadworks.
The 33-year-old clocked up speeds in excess of 100mph as he tried to shake off the attention of pursuing police vehicles as he raced along the A66 in the early hours of the morning in his BMW.
Jolyon Perks, prosecuting, said the police activated the blue lights and siren on their vehicle after the passenger of Gallagher’s car caught their attention.
He said the defendant sped away along Coatham Road in Redcar before carrying out a 360 on a mini-roundabout and raced towards the A66.
Teesside Crown Court heard how Gallagher reached speeds in excess of 80mph in 30mph zones before hitting the 100mph mark as he sped along the dual carriageway towards Darlington.
“He overtook other road users, even though it was 4am, at speeds in the region of 100mph,” he said.
“At the Yarm junction there were roadworks with cones in the road, the defendant drove the car across the lanes knocking over the traffic cones.”
Mr Perks said the pursuit continued at high speed with up to four police vehicles involved in the chase.
“As the vehicle approached the A167 onto the A689 the vehicle stopped because it had run out of fuel.
“He tried to run away across a field but was pursued and arrested.”
The court heard Gallagher was over the drink drive limit when he was arrested following the 30-mile pursuit.”
Gallagher, of Scott Place, Newton Aycliffe, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and driving with excess alcohol following the incident on October 4 last year.
Andrew Mark, mitigating, said his client was the sole-carer for two children, one of whom suffered with medical issues.
He said: “This is a very difficult case, if you sentence him to immediate custody, which a 30-mile police chase would inevitably attract, he will leave behind two children, one of whom is extremely vulnerable.”
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Judge Howard Crowson sentenced Gallagher to 12-months in custody suspended for two years.
“The police tried to stop you and you drove away too fast,” he said. “There were four police cars involved at different times and you drove very quickly indeed.
“Fortunately, none of driving caused an immediate hazard.”
Gallagher was banned from driving for three years and ordered to attend 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.
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