A motorist led police on a chase after rowing with his father when he met him for the first time in 21 years.
David Paul Miller decided to drive to “clear his head” after a heated argument with his father, Adam Birkby representing him told Leeds Crown Court.
“He had met his father for the first time in 21 years earlier that evening. His father said he was going on holiday to Australia and never came back,” he said.
When eventually arrested after abandoning his car Miller was “covered in blood” from the earlier confrontation, said Mr Birkby.
Kate Bisset, prosecuting, said an officer was parked in a police car on New Hey Road, Huddersfield, at half past midnight on September 9 when he saw a white car travelling towards him which appeared to be over the speed limit.
He pulled in behind it and illuminated his blue lights and sirens but it accelerated away and he was doing 60mph in a bid to keep up with it.
The vehicle turned on to Longwood Edge Road and slowed a little allowing him to make up some ground and see that it was a Vauxhall Vectra but it then accelerated again on to Raw Nook Road forcing another marked police vehicle travelling towards him to pull on to the footpath to avoid his car.
Miller then turned back on to New Hey Road not stopping at the give way and on to the wrong carriage confronting oncoming motorists “driving head on at them at high speed.”
The vehicles in their correct lane were forced to take evasive action by pulling on to the kerb or into the opposite carriageway to avoid a collision, one of those vehicles was an unmarked police car whose occupants had heard about the pursuit and another was a marked car containing a police sergeant who saw Miller swerve only metres from his bonnet.
As a result of the near misses the decision was made to abort the pursuit but another vehicle managed to see its full registration and Miller’s details were circulated.
Checks were made in the Colwyn Street area near where the vehicle had last been seen and a man was spoken to in the area who turned out to be Miller. The car was then found parked nearby.
Mr Birkby told the court that Miller had panicked because he had had a drink and his job involved cars and he feared losing his licence. He urged the judge not to jail him immediately.
Miller, 28, of Clare Hill, Birkby, admitted dangerous driving and was jailed for five months and disqualified from driving for 18 months.
Judge Rodney Jameson QC told him there had to be an immediate jail sentence, although the chase had only lasted a few minutes his driving was “exceptionally dangerous causing near misses for other road users.”
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