A drink driver who crashed his car through a hedge before coming to a stop in a field during a 100mph police chase has walked free from court.

Neil Whitfield was pulled over when he failed to slow down at the scene of an accident before trying to flee police to avoid taking a breath test.

The 43-year-old was taken to hospital after police recovered him from his damaged Vauxhall Astra after he lost control of the car as he approached Hart village near Hartlepool.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Whitfield was found to be over the drink drive limit when his blood was analysed while he was in hospital.

Philip Morley, prosecuting, said: “The road was partially closed and the defendant approached the collision site and didn’t appear to be slowing down at all.

“Officers illuminated their blue lights and brought the defendant to a stop. They went to speak to the defendant and he started to give vague responses to their questions, so he was asked to pull over but instead drove off.

“He increased his speed to 100mph whilst the police followed him. There was a roundabout and the defendant lost control of his vehicle.

“He veered through a hedge into a field, the vehicle was at that point travelling at 70mph, the vehicle came to a stop in the field.

“They found him inside the vehicle, he was injured, semi-conscious and was the sole occupant.”

Whitfield, of Peel Avenue, Trimdon Grange, County Durham, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and drink driving following his arrest on October 10 last year.

Kate Clark, mitigating, urged the judge to follow the recommendations in her client’s pre-sentence report.

Recorder Thomas Moran told the defendant he was lucky to have only injured himself when he crashed into the field as he passed a six-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months.

“It seems to have been an aberration on your part where you took leave of your senses,” he said. “You drove off because you knew you had been drinking.

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“There was a pursuit that lasted about three minutes where you drove at up to 100mph.

“Purely by good fortune no other road users were significantly affected and as you lost control of the car, you crashed into a field.

“Fortunately, only injuring yourself.”

Whitfield was also banned from driving for two years, told to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work, and ordered to pay £1,000 in court costs.