Biker caught riding at 125mph in Yorkshire police pursuit

William Wark admitted dangerous driving at Bradford Crown Court

A motorcyclist who rode at speeds of 125mph during a police pursuit has been handed a suspended jail sentence.

William Wark, 24, of Pontefract, was driving on the A65 between Clapham and Ingleton, North Yorkshire, when he was seen speeding by police on 21 April.

He was followed by an officer, whose dashcam footage showed him accelerating away and overtaking other vehicles.

Wark admitted dangerous driving at Bradford Crown Court and was jailed for 10 months, suspended for a year.

He was also told to carry out 200 hours unpaid work and was banned from driving for 12 months.

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The Recorder of Bradford Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC had remanded him in custody at a hearing on Wednesday, so he could consider the case further.

He decided not to jail Wark but said he had "driven like a complete lunatic" and his speed on the Clapham bypass, which got to 125mph in a 60mph limit, was "obscene".

He had sent him to HMP Armley for 48 hours while he decided if a prison term was disproportionate to what had happened.

The judge said he felt a suspended sentence was appropriate

The judge said he had reflected and he felt a suspended sentence was appropriate.

The court heard how the officer who followed Wark had stopped the pursuit when he felt it was no longer safe to follow him.

The dashcam footage showed him driving towards an oncoming lorry, which had to swerve to miss him.

"You must have caused great shock and indeed amazement to everybody concerned," said the judge.

Roads Policing Officer Mark Brook, who was involved in the pursuit and led the investigation, said: "The speeds Wark reached were frankly ridiculous and posed a real danger to other road users.

"We cannot and will not tolerate that sort of behaviour on North Yorkshire's roads. So I'm glad that the court has reflected the severity of his offending in the sentence they handed out."