Sunderland motorist raced from police in car carrying pregnant woman before jumping from the vehicle and running off

Wayne Thomas Wardle, 24, exceeded 50mph in a 30mph limit and collided with another vehicle in the chase which started after police in Sunderland tried to stop the car.

He appeared before South Tyneside Magistrates' Court to face a string of motoring offences.

The court heard that instead of stopping for officers, who wanted to carry out a routine document check after spotting the car in Villette Road, Wardle panicked and drove off at speed with his 32-week pregnant former partner in the car.

During the short chase through the Tunstall area of Sunderland, he went onto the wrong side of the road and crashed into another car, injuring a motorist and writing off her vehicle.

Glenda Beck, prosecuting, said: "He carried on with his bumper hanging off.

“He was doing speeds in excess of 50mph in a 30mph zone in Tunstall Road."

She said the defendant carried on into Queen Alexandra Road and eventually came to a stop near a park and ran off through the park gates.

She said officers also found a small bag of cannabis in the car.

Ms Beck said the incident happened at about 8pm and later that evening Wardle went to the police station to hand himself in.

Greg Flaxen, defending, said: "This incident snowballed.

"He made a stupid mistake. There was no issue with the driving, it was simply a random check.

“The officers put the blue lights on for a random check and it went on a slippery slope."

Wardle pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving without a licence, driving without insurance, possession of cannabis, failing to stop for police and failing to stop after a road accident.

The dad-of-two was given an 18-month community order and put on a three-month curfew from 8pm to 8am.

He was ordered to pay £300 in compensation and was banned from driving for 12 months.