A banned driver who led police on a high-speed chase through residential streets has been jailed.

David Dewhurst, 33, was spotted by police driving a red Seat Leon in Newcastle without its headlights on at around 2am BST on April 24 this year, the city’s Crown Court heard.

The chase through Newcastle and Gateshead lasted several minutes and Dewhurst drove on the wrong side of the road, through a park and down narrow streets before police forced him off the road.

Dewhurst, who was given a suspended prison sentence for assault a few weeks earlier and banned from driving at the time, admitted offenses including dangerous driving. He was sentenced to two years and 10 months in prison.

The court heard Dewhurst was seen reversing his friend’s car down Denton Road in Newcastle without the headlights on, prosecutor Claire Anderson said.

He then drove off and ignored police requests to stop, the court heard.

The chase continued down the A1 before heading towards Swalwell and Whickham, where he drove well in excess of the 20mph speed limit on the park’s paths, Ms Anderson said.

After police rammed his car, he tried to flee on foot but was quickly caught, the court heard.

As he was being arrested, he punched a police officer in the face and a Taser had to be used to subdue him, Ms Anderson said.

In mitigation, Shaun Routledge said Dewhurst, of Axwell Terrace in Swalwell, “panicked” when he first saw the police.

The court heard Dewhurst had 40 convictions for 84 offences, including several driving-related crimes.

He was banned from driving for a year in September 2023 for driving while disqualified, and on April 2 this year he was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years, for domestic assault.

Judge Stephen Earl, who imposed the suspended sentence weeks before the latest police chase, said Dewhurst had an “absolutely appalling record” and had been warned on April 2 that he would be jailed if he reoffended .

“You decided to take the risk 22 days later,” the judge said, adding that while the chase took place in the early hours, all it took was one person being in the wrong place for the consequences to be catastrophic.

Dewhurst, who also admitted assaulting an emergency worker and taking a vehicle without their consent, was banned from driving for three years and five months and must take an extended test to get his license back.