Teenager illegally driving Mercedes thought he could outrun police

Jareice Mitchell-Monteith sped away along New Road after a patrol car began following him down Apperley Lane shortly before midnight on October 6 last year.

Bradford Crown Court heard on Thursday that he was unlicensed and uninsured when he led the police on a six-minute chase before crashing into railings.

He fled the smoking car and only stopped when the police threatened to taser him, prosecutor Nick Adlington said.

Mitchell-Monteith, 19, of West Royd, Wilsden, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, failing to stop and driving without a licence or insurance.

The court heard that he jumped red lights, crossed to the wrong side of bollards and almost collided with another vehicle. He sped through Guiseley at 60mph and went 90mph down Bingley Road.

Mitchell-Monteith then reached 100 mph before going through a residential area at three times the 20mph speed limit at Sandholme Drive.

The chase then included Prospect Road and Main Street where he crashed into railings.

He ran from the badly damaged and smoking car and only stopped when officers threatened to taser him.

Harry Crowson said in mitigation that Mitchell-Monteith had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and had no previous convictions.

He knew he was driving unlawfully and he didn’t want to be caught.

Mitchell-Monteith had suffered three tragic bereavements and he failed to respond well to difficult situations.

He was a valued employee who cared for his poorly mother. He had no drugs or alcohol issues and had made a very foolish mistake.

Judge Andrew Hatton said Mitchell-Monteith had run a red light at Dibb Lane and accelerated away from the officer when she activated her blue lights.

He had made a deliberate decision to try to evade the police.

“You put at risk all those unfortunate enough to be on the road at the same time,” Judge Hatton said.

If an ambulance had emerged from a side road as he sped along, it would have been carnage.

“You decided that you were a better driver than the police and you would get away from them,” the judge told him.

Mitchell-Monteith was sentenced to ten months in a young offender institution and banned from driving from two years on his release.

He must then pass an extended test to get a driving licence.