A 23-year-old drink-driver with no car insurance who led police on a high speed chase across the countryside has been spared a jail sentence.
David Buck, from Norfolk, was given a 51-week suspended prison sentence, an 18-month supervision order and was banned from driving for three years after appearing at Norwich Crown Court.
The court heard how Buck was spotted by police speeding through the village of Methwold with the headlights of his Volvo on full beam. When he realised he was being followed he sped up to 70mph and swerved off the road onto a dirt track.
Returning to the road and still being pursued, he sped through another village, forcing oncoming vehicles to swerve out of the way, tore across a railway crossing at over 100mph and then stopped outside a farm.
He then got out of the car and told police officers he hadn't been driving. A breath test revealed he was nearly three times over the limit and he eventually admitted being behind the wheel. It also later came to light that Buck was already banned from driving and had no motor insurance.
Hearing about the case, Mike Page from Hoot Car Insurance Services, experts in young driver car insurance, said, "It sounds like this lad is lucky to escape a prison term, but I'm sure he's going to struggle to find a cheap car insurance deal when he's back on the road."