A BANNED motorist was said to allow "adrenaline" to take over on seeing a police car's blue light.

The comments were made in a probation report on Robert Peter Holliday, awaiting sentence following a dangerous high speed chase.

It began when a passing police patrol officer spotted Holliday not wearing a seat belt while driving a Renault Clio, on Cockton Hill Road, Bishop Auckland, at about 11am on May 26.

Durham Crown Court heard the officer turned his vehicle around intending to speak to Holliday, who sped off in the Clio.

Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, said the officer illuminated his vehicle’s blue light and siren, as Holliday travelled at speed through Bishop Auckland.

The Clio ignored a red light, drove the wrong way round a roundabout into the path of oncoming cars, undertook vehicles and at one stage mounted a grassed area.

Mr Dryden said Holliday reached 90-miles per hour on the A689 Toronto viaduct, clipped a traffic sign, while on an S-bend he, “effectively bullied his way” past several vehicles.

Holliday shunted into a Volkswagen Golf, whose driver was trying to assist the pursuing police to catch up, before undertaking it.

The patrol car was damaged when the officer tried to force the Clio onto a grass verge.

Mr Dryden said the Clio was eventually found abandoned near allotments, in Willington, but Holliday’s wallet, containing identifying cards, was recovered from the driver’s side pocket.

When police called at his home, Holliday was not present, but the keys to the Clio, containing his finger prints, were recovered from a bedroom.

The 27-year-old defendant, of Park Street, Willington, admitted dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and without insurance.

Mr Dryden said Holliday’s criminal record features a number of motoring convictions, and most recently he received a 20-month prison sentence, with a three-year driving ban, for the same offences, in January last year.

John Turner, for Holliday, told the court that since his arrest for the latest offence he has been recalled to prison to serve the rest of the previous sentence, which is due to end next month.

Judge Christopher Prince said he had concerns, having read extracts from a pre-sentence probation report on Holliday, which stated that he received an “adrenaline rush” and resorts to “impulsive behaviour” on seeing the blue lights of a police car.

The judge said he wanted to consider the sentence, and was thinking of asking for a psychiatric report on Holliday.

He adjourned sentence until August 14.