Dangerous driver is jailed after high-speed chase

David Mair was spotted driving at high speeds near the Three Horse Shoes roundabout in Blyth in a car brandishing a fake number plate just before 3pm on February 21.

But when police signalled him to pull over, Mair, of Hallside Road, Blyth, sped off.

The 34-year-old veered off the main road and began driving along a wagonway near near Low Horton Farm, forcing pedestrians and cyclists to scramble out the way quickly.

Mair, also known as David Taylor, abandoned the car on Beadnell Road and fled on foot but was found minutes later by officers.

Meanwhile a search of his home address uncovered an attic-based cannabis hub with 30 plants.

He was arrested and charged with numerous driving offences, which he pleaded guilty to.

He was remanded in prison until sentencing at Newcastle Crown Court where he was sentenced to 18 months behind bars and handed a 56 month long driving ban.

PC John Loraine, of Blyth’s Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “This was an incredibly dangerous act of stupidity and it is a minor miracle that neither Mair nor any pedestrians were injured.

“At the time of the offence, Taylor was disqualified from driving and he has a long history of driving without the appropriate documentation.

“He was determined to avoid being taken into police custody because he knew that if he did, then his next stop would be a prison cell.

“His car has been seized and the ‘thank you’ sticker with it.

“I welcome the sentence and know the roads of Blyth are safer without him.”