A fugitive drug dealer was jailed after being caught in a 20 minute long 130mph motorway chase.
Adam Taylor had jumped bail after being caught selling heroin in Exeter and was on his way home to Liverpool when police tried to stop him for using a mobile phone.
He scattered traffic cones as he sped through road works and onto the hard shoulder to get away and police chased him at speeds up to 130mph for 31 miles until he lost control, hit the central reservation and crashed.
Taylor dodged fast moving cars as he ran across the other carriageway and away across fields before being tracked down by a police dog and arrested.
He was desperate to escape because he had jumped bail after being caught dealing in heroin for the second time in four years, Exeter Crown Court was told.
Taylor, 24, of Okehampton Street, Exeter, and formerly of Hansby Drive, Speke, admitted possessing heroin with intent to supply and dangerous driving.
He was jailed for a total of four years and banned from driving for five years by Recorder Philip Mott, QC.
He told him: ”Your driving shows how desperate you were to avoid apprehension.”
Gordon Richings, prosecuting, said Taylor was found with £80 cash and 289 wraps of heroin with a total weight of 49.34g and street value of £5,780 when his flat in Exeter was raided on May 29.
He was bailed but did not turn up at court and on August 11 was driving North in a Vauxhall up the M6 near Stoke-on-Trent when police saw him using a hand held mobile.
Mr Richings said: ”Police decided to stop him and he braked sharply and swerved into a coned off area of road works and accelerated away.
“The pursuit lasted for 20 minutes and covered 31 miles, which gives some idea of the average speed. He weaved across all three lanes and the hard shoulder at speeds reaching 130mph.
“During the pursuit he tried to deter the police by throwing objects such as Lucozade bottles out of the window into their path.
“He crashed into the central reservation and then ran across the motorway, dodging motor vehicles and was later caught by a police dog and arrested. He had no licence or insurance.
“The police described his driving as very dangerous and said it put a large number of road users at risk. This was at the highest end of dangerous driving.”
Emmi Wilson, defending, said: “The driving offence occurred while he was trying to avoid arrest on a warrant. It was fuelled by his desire to avoid being caught by the police.”
Taylor was previously jailed for two years at Exeter Crown Court in January 2012 for drug dealing when police saw him counting cash in his car in Bartholemew Street, Exeter.
Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/