A motorist has been given a suspended jail sentence after he was involved in a police chase lasting nearly 15 minutes.

Craig Wallace was already a disqualified driver when he was seen behind the wheel of a van in the Honley area of Huddersfield around 6.30pm on August 20 last year.

Ben Campbell prosecuting told Leeds Crown Court today (Thursday) two officers in a marked police car illuminated their blue lights for him to stop but he drove on.

During the course of the pursuit that followed a number of vehicles had to take evasive action to avoid the van before it turned left into Huddersfield Road without looking for approaching vehicles.

He reached 50 mph in a 30mph area forcing other cars to move out of his way as he negotiated junctions ignoring give way signs and round blind bends.

At the end of Armitage Road he again failed to stop at a give way junction, overtook a vehicle on a blind bend and reached 60mph in Balmoral Avenue.

Mr Campbell said in Manchester Road traffic was queuing and Wallace overtook it by going on the wrong side of the bollards. He also drove through a red light before doing a sharp turn almost back on his route.

The police helicopter had also become involved in the pursuit and captured on film the moment three police vehicles finally managed to box the van in and bring it to a halt.

West Yorkshire Police helicopter

The court heard Wallace was banned from driving for two years only 10 weeks earlier on June 5.

Carl Kingsley representing Wallace accepted the case crossed the custody threshold but urged the sentence be suspended because of the changes in his life since.

He said the reason he was driving was that he had been offered some gardening work. His partner was at the time in hospital because she was having difficulties with her pregnancy expecting their child.

He wanted to earn some money to support her. “It was entirely the wrong decision and he accepts that.”

He said since the birth of their son in November he had matured and accepted his new responsibilities. He had obtained work which was initially part-time but had now been offered full-time work as a deputy manager which he would lose if jailed immediately.

Wallace, 31 of Leymoor Road, Golcar, Huddersfield admitted dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and having no insurance. He was given a total of 18 months in prison suspended for two years with 30 days activity requirement and 200 hours unpaid work.

Recorder Simon Eckersley told him prison was inevitable for a flagrant breach of the previous order and the manner of the driving that night but having heard the mitigation on his behalf he was prepared to suspend it.