By Ashley Young-
A reckless driver has been jailed after putting police lives at risk as he led officers on a 120 mph pursuit down the A64.
Irresponsible Toby Jay Thorp, was jailed for 12 months, banned from driving for 18 months and ordered to take an extended driving test before driving alone again.
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York Court heard that Toby Jay Thorpe, 25, rammed a police car during the chase that began as he was heading back to West Yorkshire at the end of a day out by the seaside.
He refused to give a breath test when he was finally stopped near Tadcaster.
Thorpe, of Chequerfield Mount, Pontefract, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, failure to provide a specimen and possessing cocaine.
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The Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris, told Thorpe: “They had to follow you because they didn’t know why you were driving like a lunatic.”
He added: “You put police officers’ lives at risk by doing this. There was a degree of arrogance about it. You rammed a police car when it came alongside.”
Mitigating for him, his barrister, Ian Howard, Thorpe pleaded to be given a sentence that would enable him to be released before the birth of his first child in September.
However, the judge said that was not possible and that he would be in jail when he became a father.
“That is your fault,” the judge said.
Mr Howard said traffic had been light as the pursuit had been very late on July 31 and into the early hours of August 1 last year.
“He (Thorpe) can give no reasonable explanation,” he said. “He went to Scarborough with his car, simply drank too much and the rest we know.”
The judge said police received a tip-off about a car leaving a pub in Scarborough. They found the car and pulled up alongside.
“You then put your foot down,” the judge told Thorpe.
“There was a long police chase going up to 120 mph.”
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