A DRIVER who reached speeds of 110mph during a police chase has been jailed for eight months.

Police set a trap for George Skelton after learning he was driving a stolen vehicle with cloned number plates.

The 45-year-old spotted the officers setting up a Stinger trap and mounted the kerb to avoid it before speeding off along the A66 on the outskirts of Darlington.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Skelton raced towards the A1M before returning to the A66 and heading towards Barnard Castle before losing control of the Isuzu pickup and ploughing into a wall.

Kate Barnes, prosecuting, said the defendant's vehicle was eventually blocked in and he was arrested.

"The vehicle passed the officers travelling at speed on eastbound on the A66 towards Scotch Corner," she said. "He saw officers waiting with a tactical Stinger, the PC witnessed the vehicle mount the kerb nearly hitting a police sergeant and made off through a red traffic light towards the A1M.

"The officer activated his blue lights and started pursuing the vehicle at speeds of 110mph as it drove along the A1M from the A66."

Miss Barnes said Skelton smashed into a police vehicle at 20mph before heading back towards Darlington and again reaching speeds in excess of 100mph.

The court heard how the defendant crashed the Isuzu into a wall on Coniscliffe Road in Darlington.

Skelton, of Cook Close, South Shields, admitted a charge of dangerous driving following his arrest in August 2019.

The defendant, who represented himself at court, said he was due to be released from a drug dealing prison sentence next week.

Recorder David Gordon sentenced Skelton to eight months in custody for a single offence of dangerous driving.

He said: "Mr Skelton with his eyes open, who I can describe as a veteran of the justice system, opted to get this over with. It seems to me this is a serious offence."

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