A MAN who was given the chance to 'keep his nose clean' has been given a suspended sentence for dangerous driving after keeping out of trouble for six months.

Paul Taylor was thrown the lifeline by Judge Stephen Ashurst when he appeared before him in November after he took police on a high speed chase.

The 41-year-old was arrested after he crashed his Mitsubishi 4x4 while trying to avoid capture after he was spotted driving erratically in east Cleveland.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Taylor caught the attention of police when he was spotted driving on Apple Orchard Bank on the A174 in August last year.

When officers activated their blue lights to pull the defendant over he ignored their warning and continued to drive away.

Officers pursued the defendant as he headed towards Saltburn, with one officer capturing the journey on a body-worn camera, where he could be seen crossing the white lines and clipping the grass verge on several occasions.

The defendant eventually lost control of the vehicle near to Saltburn's Valley Gardens when he plunged down an embankment.

Taylor, of Liverton Road, Loftus, east Cleveland, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving without insurance and driving without a licence.

As a result, the judge gave him a chance to turn his life around before passing sentence on Friday.

The court heard that since his last appearance in court, Taylor had kept out of trouble and was making progress in turning his life around.

Judge Ashurst said: "You rightly deserved to go straight to prison when you appeared before me last time because this was a very poor piece of driving."

He added: "I gave you an opportunity to prove yourself and there has been no further offences since then and you have complied with your community order.

"You have kept your part of the bargain and you should be congratulated for that. I hear you have turned your life around and not before time."

Sentencing him to nine months in custody, suspended for 12 months, he added: "You are not out of the woods yet and you won't be until you have served the term of your sentence and you have managed to keep your nose clean."