"Idiot" police chase driver jailedpublished at 10:40 British Summer Time 24 October 2018
Chris Quevatre
BBC News Online
An "idiot" driver who was chased around Torquay by police has been sentenced to six months in prison, and banned from driving for 15 months.
Michael Jeffrey, 19, from Torquay, bought his VW Polo - which had no rear brakes - for £125, but had no licence or insurance.
After receiving a high volume of complaints, Devon and Cornwall Police tracked Jeffrey down using a helicopter.
He tried to outrun the police, driving at 55mph in 30mph zones, and drove so dangerously that police gave up the chase at one stage, leaving the helicopter to monitor his whereabouts.
The chase took 12 minutes and started in the centre of Torquay before he drove out through Babbacombe and St Marychurch.
At one point Jeffrey hit an oncoming car, but kept on driving.
He only stopped when he hit a curb and burst a tyre, running off when he was near his home in Teignmouth Road.
At Exeter Crown Court, Judge Peter Johnson called it a "shocking example of very irresponsible driving".