A MOTORIST drove the wrong way down one of the town’s busiest streets and led police on a chase as double the speed limit.

Oliver Hughes, from Latchford, was drunk and had not even passed his driving test at the time of the pursuit – which only ended after he crashed into street furniture.

Warrington Magistrates Court heard on Friday, March 4, that an officer on patrol spotted a grey Audi A3 travelling against the flow of traffic on Mersey Street in the early hours of December 27 last year.

The defendant, who was behind the wheel, then entered Bridge Foot and continued along Knutsford Road while being pursued by the police car.

Ignoring their attempts to stop him, Hughes reached speeds of up to 65mph in a 30mph zone while driving ‘erratically’.

He then mounted the curb and crashed into a bollard.

The 20-year-old, of Seabury Street, continued for a short distance before coming to a stop on Thelwall Lane.

Several occupants fled the vehicle, but Hughes was apprehended nearby ‘smelling of alcohol and obviously drunk’.

He was arrested at around 2.30am, but refused a breathalyser test and would not give a sample of blood for analysis when in custody.

The driver told officers that he had panicked when he saw their blue lights as he did not have a licence and admitted that he had ‘been a d***head in a moment of madness’.

Hughes was hauled before a court and admitted dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, failing to stop after an accident, driving without a licence, failing to provide a specimen and driving without insurance.

He was released on bail and handed an interim driving ban ahead of his sentencing, but was then pulled over by police again on Knutsford Road after running a red light on Bridge Foot at around 4.30am on Friday, February 11.

Tests showed that he had 44 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath, the legal limit being 35mg.

Hughes – who has no previous convictions – pleaded guilty to further charges of drink driving, driving while disqualified and another count of driving with insurance and was then remanded into custody.

Peter Green, defending, told the court: “It is genuinely surprising that somebody goes from nothing at all to basically going on a rampage.

“I think it’s refreshing that he says ‘I’ve been a d***head and it’s nobody’s fault but mine’.

“He takes full responsibility for his actions.

“The past three weeks have been a lesson for him, because he’s been at Her Majesty’s hotel in Altcourse.

“He’s ashamed, and so he should be.

“There seems to have been two months where he’s lost the plot, got in with the wrong crowd and done the wrong thing maybe trying to impress certain people.”

Mr Green urged the bench to impose a suspended prison sentence, but Hughes was handed six months in prison.

Sentencing, magistrates panel chairman Andrew Pope said: “To your credit, you have entered guilty please to all charges you face.

“This is really serious.

“We are mindful of the fact that you have no previous convictions.

“What we do as magistrates will several impact your life going forward.

“The bottom line is that you have passed the custody threshold and we are not prepared to suspend this sentence.

“You are going into custody today. You can’t avoid the fact the you were on bail driving while disqualified and over the limit.

“It’s not an easy sentence to give you, but our duty is not only to you but also to ensure the safety of the public. You have shown a blatant disregard in your actions at such a young age.”

Hughes, who was also disqualified from driving for 27 months and told to pay a £128 victim surcharge, waved to his parents in the public gallery as he was led down to the cells.

He will also be required to pass an extended test before he is allowed on the roads.

Cheshire Police refused to release a custody picture of Hughes.