A DANGEROUS driver was jailed for a total of 22 months for his latest two motoring misdemeanours.

Martin Miller was on bail and banned from the roads following previous driving offences at the time of both incidents, which were each the subject of police chases.

Durham Crown Court heard that the first was over ten minutes after a Volkswagen Lupo driven by Miller caught the attention of police patrol officers, on Front Street, Trimdon Village, at 3pm on September 6, 2016.

Jonathan Harley, prosecuting, said the Lupo performed dangerous overtaking manoeuvres, at speed, causing oncoming vehicles to take evasive action, before being brought to a halt after police deployed a ‘stinger’ device to deflate tyres on the A689 near Wynyard Business Park.

Mr Harley said the second pursuit, late on March 15, arose after police responded to a report of a suspected drunken driver in a Nissan Almera on the B1404 at Seaton Village, at 11.50pm.

Following a chase though Seaham, in which the Almera crossed a muddy field and veered into two police vehicles, damaging both, it was eventually “boxed in” to bring it to a halt, on Stockton Road.

Miller, 25, of Forrester Terrace, Murton, admitted two counts each of dangerous driving, while disqualified and without insurance, plus one of having excess drugs in his system to drive.

Paul Rooney, mitigating, said the defendant accepted he should have stopped for police on both occasions and accepted he is facing an inevitable prison sentence.

Jailing him, Judge Simon Hickey told Miller he drove in, “complete disregard” for the police and other road users, in both cases.

He imposed a driving ban of four years and 11 months.