Police did U-turn and activated lights to respond to emergency but disqualified motorist thought they were after him and sped off before crashing
Police did a U-turn and activated lights and sirens to respond to an emergency incident on the M2 motorway but a disqualified driver thought they were after him and sped off before he crashed into a roundabout near Antrim Area Hospital.
Mark Laverty (28), with an address given as The Meadows in Randalstown, was sentenced on charges of driving whilst banned; driving without due care and attention; failing to stop for police; and absence of insurance and MOT in relation to August 26 this year.
He was at Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, which heard that when police turned their liveried car they were behind a Honda Civic.
A prosecutor said the defendant "accelerated quicker than the high performance police vehicle was capable of" and was doing "well over" a 40mph speed limit.
"Police believe that the Honda driver believed that police wanted to stop them," she added.
District Judge Nigel Broderick said: "All they wanted to do was get past him, so if he had slowed down and pulled in he wouldn't be here probably."
Police then decided the Honda needed stopped and were in the process of calling in a pursuit whenever the defendant braked heavily and skidded onto a roundabout at Antrim Area Hospital and crashed into a hedge.
Instead of attending the other emergency, the prosecutor said officers in that police car then had to stop and deal with Laverty.
A defence barrister said the defendant had been "naive and stupid" and has now "learned his lesson" and is a "changed person".
Judge Broderick said the defendant had 21 previous convictions and the courts had "lost patience" with him.
He said the defendant had previously been given fines, Probation and a suspended prison term.
He handed down a six months prison term; banned him from driving for 18 months; and fined him £550.
Bail in the sum of £500 was fixed for appeal of the sentence.