A DRIVER overturned his car on the A1(M) after he raced another car at speeds of up to 100mph, a court was told.

Witnesses told police they had been overtaken by Raymond Donkin in his silver Ford Focus and another man driving a Vauxhall Nova "hurtling" down the motorway less than a car's length apart, said Caroline May, prosecuting.

She said lorry drivers estimated their speed as almost 100mph, and said the pair were switching from lane to lane.

She said that at one point, Donkin, 58, of Vine Street, South Shields, South Tyneside, forced a driver to swerve to avoid a collision.

Donkin then lost control of his car, which span across the southbound carriageway of the road at Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, before it rolled down an embankment.

Mrs May said the Nova then sped off.

Deborah Sadler, in mitigation, said Donkin, who admitted dangerous driving, had not started the race.

She told the court he had panicked and had driven fast out of fear because of the actions of the other car.

Since the incident, he has spent five months in hospital, and at one stage was committed under the Mental Health Act suffering from manic depression, Harrogate magistrates were told.

Mrs Sadler said that in October last year, Donkin, who was also a diabetic, had been convicted of dangerous driving by a Scottish court and his licence had been revoked.

Presiding magistrate Pamela Henderson bailed Donkin until February 19 for probation and medical reports, and warned him he could face prison