A HIGHLY-RATED motor technician who sped away from pursuing police vehicles scrapped the car driven in the incident later that day, a court heard.

By the time Jason Johnston was arrested the following day, he was no longer in possession of the Audi vehicle, in which he fled from two police cars.

Durham Crown Court heard that the police drivers involved estimated Johnston reached speeds of 100-miles per hour-plus, on the 60-limit A693 between Stanley and Pelton, overtaking several times and forcing oncoming vehicles to take swift evasive action.

Victoria Lamballe, prosecuting, said, having turned off, onto the 30-limit Ouston Lane, a second police car came within 50-metres of the Audi.

But Johnston then accelerated away again and the second police driver decided it was safer to abandon the chase.

“The Audi was not located again that day, but the next day he was arrested and interviewed, in which he denied being involved, claiming he had sold the car some time earlier.

“He also doubted whether it could reach speeds of 100-miles per hour.”

Forty-one-year-old Johnston, of Stridingedge, Washington, who has been in custody since his arrest on July 26, admitted dangerous driving at a plea hearing last month.

The case was adjourned for a scheduled trial on a second charge, of threatening to commit an act of criminal damage, which he denied.

Miss Lamballe said that arose from a domestic-related incident at a filling station in Stanley, which resulted in police being called, on July 25, and which led to Johnston driving away from responding officers.

But, Miss Lamballe said that the complainant to the allegation of threats to commit criminal damage no longer wanted to pursue that case.

Therefore, ‘no evidence’ was offered by the Crown, and a formal ‘not guilty’ verdict recorded on that charge.

Glenn Gatland, mitigating for the dangerous driving offence, said Johnston feared being arrested for something he had not done and drove away.

“He accepts he was driving at speed while police in their Astras were unable to catch up.”

Asked by Judge Christopher Prince why the defendant got rid of his car so soon after the incident, Mr Gatland told the court: “There was black smoke coming from the car. The turbo had gone.

“A defunct turbo is of no use on an Audi of that type, so he took it and had it scrapped that day.”

Mr Gatland said the defendant is a “capable and well thought of” automotive engineer, and would be in demand as a master technician on his release from custody.

Jailing him for a year, Judge Prince said whatever Johnston’s fears of wrongful arrest over the earlier filling station incident, it was “no justification” for driving in a manner which may have put other road users’ lives at risk.

He also banned Johnston from driving for two-and-a-half years.