A BANNED teenage motorist became involved in a police chase after driving away without paying for almost £40 worth of petrol from a filling station, a court heard.

Shaun Chester is starting a one-year sentence in a young offenders’ institution after admitting charges of dangerous driving, making off without payment, and driving while disqualified, arising from his escapade behind the wheel of a Vauxhall Vectra, late on Saturday January 14.

Durham Crown Court was told that after filling the car with £39.96 worth of petrol, he drove away from Park Head Station, near Bishop Auckland, without paying for the fuel.

Police were informed and details of the car were circulated to patrol vehicles in the area, at about 11pm.

Paul Newcombe, prosecuting, said officers came across the Vectra on the A688 heading towards Spennymoor, and gave chase.

Chester later accepted he was travelling at about 80-miles per hour at the time and, on leaving the Frog and Ferret roundabout, performed a u-turn.

Mr Newcombe said at this point the pursuing police vehicle’s siren and blue flashing lights were deployed.

Chester reached 60-mph on a 30-limit road in a residential area, three times swerving into the opposite carriageway.

As he approached Croxdale, on the A167, he reached speeds of about 90-mph on a 40-limit stretch, before attempting to take a roundabout in the wrong direction.

But his downfall came about after he clipped the roundabout and veered into the lane for oncoming traffic.

Mr Newcombe said a nearside wheel was damaged and the car began to slow.

When it came to a halt, the police vehicle blocked its path and Chester was arrested, still sitting at the wheel.

Although he made “no comment” replies in his police interview at the time, he subsequently admitted the substantive charges, as well as subsidiary offences of driving without insurance or a test certificate.

The court heard 19-year-old Chester, of Clarence Court, Newton Aycliffe, has previous offences for robbery, aggravated vehicle taking, theft and burglary.

Danielle Graham, mitigating, said he made his admissions at the first court hearing, and despite driving as he did, no property or vehicle, other than his own, was damaged in the incident.

She added that there was little traffic on the road, other than the police vehicle at that time, and since his arrest, the defendant has spent almost a month in custody.

Passing sentence, Judge Simon Hickey told Chester anyone attempting to flee from police, ignoring sirens and flashing blue lights, was, in all but exceptional circumstances, “driving themselves into custody.”

He also banned the defendant from driving for 18 months and said he must take an extended test if he ever wants to drive legally in future.