A GETAWAY driver who reached speeds of 121mph as he fled the scene of a ram-raid has finally been brought to justice.

Mark Richardson's high-speed chase came to an end when officers managed to box his car in as he drove along the A66 away from Darlington.

The tyres of his Ford Focus were blown out when officers used a Stinger to try and stop him in his tracks but he continued to drive in excess of 60mph when his front two wheels were running on the rims.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the 37-year-old was arrested following the robbery at the Screwfix business in Darlington on October 12, 2016 but didn't appear in court until late 2019 after he disappeared.

Sam Faulks, prosecuting, said the gang behind the ram-raid caused almost £2,000 worth of damage to the building when they stolen £3,400 worth of tools and machinery before fleeing the scene.

"When officers arrived at Screwfix they saw that a blue Ford Focus had been reversed into the shutter doors, padlocks had been removed and a variety of tools had been stolen," he said.

"A couple of hours later the car in which the defendant was driving was seen heading along the A66. A high-speed pursuit then began with the vehicle reaching 121mph.

"Police managed to deploy the Stinger and the front tyres of the car were punctured. He was still travelling at speeds of 64mph without front tyres as they had come off and were running on the alloy wheels."

When it was eventually stopped one passenger managed to escape but Richardson and another accomplice were arrested at the scene. Officers recovered a knife from the belt of the defendant.

Richardson, of Westfield Road, Redcar, pleaded guilty to burglary, dangerous driving and possession of a knife.

Representing himself in court, he told the judge he didn't hand himself into the court after his arrest as his son had just been born and he wanted to spend time at home with him but knew 'it would catch up with him;'.

Judge Deborah Sherwin heard how Richardson's co-accused with given an 18-month suspended sentence for his role in the burglary.

The judge added a consecutive six month sentence for Richardson's dangerous driving and suspended his two-years in custody for two years.

"I'm quite surprised they (the police) hadn't caught up with you earlier but there it is. I have to sentence for these offences which date back to 2016," she said. "A seriously aggravating matter was that you were driving a car on the A66 , the getaway car, and there was a high-speed chase at speeds of up to 121mph."

Richardson was banned from driving from two and a half years, ordered to attend 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and perform 240 hours of unpaid work.