High-speed chase driver told ‘it is astonishing that no-one was killed’

HE SPED IN 30MPH ZONES, JUMPED RED LIGHTS AND WENT WRONG WAY

- By MARTIN NAYLOR

A 27-year-old unlicensed and uninsured driver from Nottingham led police on a high-speed chase down residential streets where his car topped 70mph.

Shocking CCTV played at Nottingham Crown Court showed a Vauxhall Astra being driven by Matthew Bilson going the wrong way around roundabouts, jumping red lights and forcing oncoming cars to take evasive action.

At one point the defendant, of Bestwood, lost control of the vehicle and fishtailed before carrying on trying to avoid the police.

Jailing him for 16 months, Judge Mark Watson said: “On any view this was an appalling piece of driving and it is astonishing that no one was hurt or killed as a result of this seven minutes of dangerous driving.

“It is more by luck than judgement this did not happen. You drove like you did around the streets on the wrong side of the road, at speed, over speed bumps, on the wrong side of the road and I saw on one occasion there were two pedestrians.