A road menace who reached speeds of up to 130mph during a police chase has walked free from court.
When officers tried to pull over Noah Cairns for speeding, he initially appeared to obey them before pulling off and driving at extremely high speeds on the A19 to get away from them. Officers had to pull out of the chase because it was so dangerous but he was then spotted driving too fast the following day.
A stinger device was used to deflate his tyres and after trying to continue driving, his car was found in a hedge. Now the 21-year-old, who admitted two counts of dangerous driving, has been given a suspended prison sentence at Newcastle Crown Court.
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It was on July 11 last year that Cairns was spotted driving a VW Golf on a dual carriageway between Washington and Sunderland at high speed and a marked police car began to follow him. He then went on the A19 and was described as "maxing out" the car.
At that stage, police had to do 120mph to gain ground on him. He then exited the A19 near to the Tyne Tunnel approach, at which point officers activated their blue lights and sirens.
Cairns initially appeared to be obeying the direction to stop but then drove off at high speed once more. Despite driving at 120mph again, police were unable to catch up and estimated he was doing around 130mph and they had to abandon the pursuit.
There were other vehicles on the road at the time, some of which had to take evasive action and there was also a tanker parked at the side of the carriageway at one point.
The following day, details of the car having been circulated, it was spotted again driving at high speed just outside the city centre. A stinger device was deployed and deflated his tyres.
He drove for another 1.5km before his car was found in a hedge and he was discovered in a field, around two-and-a-half times the drug drive limit for cannabis.
Judge Edward Legard told him: "The courts view the offence of dangerous driving in a very serious light indeed. Very many lives are needlessy lost or blighted as a consequence of this type of conduct.
"It's only a matter of good fortune you or other road users were not injured or even killed."
Cairns, 21, of Denham Drive, Seaton Delaval, Northumberland, pleaded guilty to two counts of dangerous driving and was sentended to six months suspended for 18 months with a curfew and rehabilitaion.
The court heard he is remorseful, has made positive changes to his life and attitude since the offences and was subsequently badly injured in a crash while driving a motorbike which was not his fault.
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