A banned motorist with a horrendous record has been locked up again after he was spotted driving in an ‘absolutely ridiculous’ manner by police as he raced around residential streets.

John Seit, who has 47 convictions for 105 offences, was travelling along Neasham Road in a VW Golf before heading onto Brankin Road and increased his speed when the police activated the blue lights on their car.

The 41-year-old ignored the police officer’s attempts to get him to pullover before heading off at speeds in excess of 60mph along Barden Moor Road before clipping a kerb and puncturing the tyre, Teesside Crown Court heard.

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Sam Faulks, prosecuting, said: “The defendant approached the next two junctions and he showed no caution or fail to give way in the correct manner.

“Another vehicle was forced to take evasive action in order to avoid a head-on collision as he reached speeds in excess of 55mph on more residential roads.

“At junction of Holgate Moor Green and Burnside Road, there was a schoolchild, aged about 12, trying to cross the road. The defendant’s vehicle approached at speed and forced the pedestrian to move back to avoid being struck.”

Mr Faulks said the car was driving on three tyres when it travelled along Fenby Avenue before he slowed, mounted the footpath and drove through a break in a fence onto a grassed parkland area.

Seit, of Pensbury Street, Darlington, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving whilst uninsured, failing to stop, and driving whilst disqualified on February 14 this year.

Katie Spence, in mitigation, said her client had been out of prison for five months, after being locked up last August, when he was arrested for his latest motoring offences and accepted that his driving was serious but not the most serious the courts will see.

She said: “It may appear that being able to stay out of trouble for five months is not necessarily an achievement but looking at this defendant’s record, in fact five months in an achievement.”

Ms Spence said he acknowledges that his behaviour was ‘absolutely ridiculous’.

Recorder Andrew Smith MBE sentenced the prolific offender to 16 months in custody.

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He said: “It is difficult to see that there is ever going to be a break in this offending and if you carryon driving whilst disqualified and driving like this it can only end in two ways – more and more custodial sentences or you get involved in an accident where someone is seriously injured or worse.

“It has got to stop.”

He added: “You are repeat, prolific dangerous driver with 23 previous occasions for driving uninsured and 20 occasions when driving whilst disqualified.”

Seit was banned from driving for a total of four years and eight months and was ordered to take an extended driving test before returning to the roads.