Great Asby driver who hit 142mph during chase too 'scared' to stop

A driver who hit 142mph while being pursued by police had been drinking and was too scared to stop, a court has heard.

Lee Maughan, told officers that he had had a "few pints" before crashing his Mercedes in the village of Temple Sowerby in Cumbria.

Appearing at Carlisle Crown Court the 25-year-old from Great Asby, near Appleby, admitted dangerous driving.

He was given a 12-month jail term, suspended for two years.

Judge Nicolas Barker said Maughan was lucky no-one had been killed or injured and that he had "narrowly" escaped an immediate prison sentence.

Maughan was also ordered to complete 180 hours' unpaid work, fined £2,500 and given a three-month electronically monitored curfew.

He was also banned from driving for 21 months and must take an extended re-test before his licence will be returned.

The hearing was told that a police officer had spotted Maughan travelling erratically on the Kemplay Bank roundabout just outside Penrith in the early hours of 19 September last year.

The officer had had to accelerate to 120mph on a stretch of dual carriageway close to Brougham Castle as Maughan sped off.

The court heard that the officer continued to give chase as Maughan left the A66 at a speed of more than 100mph, before crashing.

Prosecutor Brendan Burke said of Maughan: "He reached the edge of the village where he lost control and crashed, causing damage to the road surface, street furniture and some private property.

"He remained in the car. He simply replied on arrest that he had been scared."

Maughan provided a positive alcohol breath test but was not charged with drink-driving.

Anthony Parkinson, defending, told the court Maughan was a hard-working man of previously good character who had admitted his guilt at the earliest opportunity.

Judge Barker said: "This is an appalling example of dangerous driving. The speeds that you travelled at, on the roads that you travelled, were truly terrible and dangerous.

"What is clear is that, on that journey, you had not the least concern for the safety of other road users.

"Your only concern was for you to try and avoid getting into trouble. That was selfish, self-centred and very dangerous."

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