A RECKLESS offender drove along the pavement in Orford to evade police.

Jake Palmer, who has no driving licence, mounted the kerb to avoid police officers on Hallfields Road in Orford.

He was later found to have a machete, knuckle dusters and drugs in his car.

The 28-year-old appeared before Liverpool Crown Court via video link on Friday for a catalogue of offences, including dangerous driving, possession of a bladed article, possession of an offence weapon, drug driving, assaulting an emergency worker, and criminal damage.

During the opening of the case, Palmer let out a loud yawn over the video link and leant back, exposing his stomach.

Judge David Swinnerton asked Palmer not to audibly yawn and said how he was not ‘enjoying’ the view of his stomach.

He added: “Maybe you would not find it as tedious listening to the opening if you had committed less offences as then it would have taken less time to list them all.”

Prosecuting, Chris Taylor said the first set of offences took place on October 25 last year.

At around 5.50pm, officers spotted a vehicle in’ poor condition’ so decided to run checks on it which revealed it was registered and insured to a female.

Mr Taylor said that officers suspected the driver, which turned out to be Palmer, may not be insured, so officers activated their matrix board which indicated for him to follow them.

But Palmer, of Folkestone, Kent, ignored the request and overtook them meaning they lost sight of him.

(Image: Newsquest)

At around 6.30pm that same evening, officers located the vehicle on Hallfields Road in Warrington.

Mr Taylor said that police vehicles came from both directions to stop Palmer.

Here, he reversed and mounted the kerb before driving along the footpath where pedestrians were.

His evasion came to an end when he crashed into traffic lights.

Mr Taylor said that upon Palmer’s arrest, officers found a machete in the back seat of the vehicle as well as a set of knuckledusters under the passenger seat.

They also found cocaine and cannabis and Palmer later tested positive for drugs following a blood test at Runcorn Custody Suite.

He said he was making his way to Liverpool for a driving test in his mum’s car which he had taken without her consent.

The next string of offences were committed in June this year while Palmer was on bail.

Mr Taylor said that on June 16, Palmer’s grandmother was asleep at her address in Kent where his auntie was also staying.

At around 11pm, the women heard a loud noise which sounded like an explosion.

This was the noise of Palmer throwing a brick through the kitchen window.

The court heard how Palmer’s grandmother and auntie barricaded themselves in a room and called the police.

When officers arrived, Palmer was sat in his grandmother’s shed, which he had broken into.

Mr Taylor said that the defendant resisted officers and elbowed one of them in the face before telling them ‘he had got a cosh’ on him.

He was found to have an extendable baton in his pocket.

In a victim impact statement, Palmer’s grandmother said how she doesn’t think she will get over the incident and that she ‘honestly does now know what she has done to deserve this’.

Palmer has six previous convictions for 24 offences.

Defending, Jennifer Devans-Tamakloe said that Palmer did not have the weapons for protection, but because he collects them.

Judge Swinnerton said he cannot accept that the defendant took the weapons to Liverpool in his car ‘for a little drive’.

Ms Devans-Tamakloe said how there is conflict between her client and his family, but he accepts responsibility for his offending.

She said that he has struggled since the death of his dad earlier this year.

Judge Swinnerton handed Palmer a prison sentence of two years and eight months.

He also made a two-year serious violence reduction order and disqualified Palmer from driving for four years and three months.