Banned moped rider who tried to outrun police helicopter is returned to prison

Kyle Michael Evans, who was jailed last year for what a judge described as one of the worst pieces of driving he had ever seen, had only been out of from prison a matter of weeks when he stole the 125cc bike before leading police on a chase.

The Keeway Cityblade had been chained up in Brierley on the afternoon of May 4 when Evans used a pair of bolt croppers to free the bike up before riding off.

Prosecuting at Leeds Crown Court, Jonathan Foy said officers noticed 21-year-old Evans riding erratically towards Hemsworth town centre shortly before midnight on the same day.

He was not wearing a helmet, was weaving across the road and reached speeds up to 63mph on 30mph-limit roads.

Mr Foy said Evans was clearly aware the police were behind him as he kept checking over his shoulder at the pursuing vehicle.

As he reached Hemsworth he was still travelling at more than 50mph, so the traffic officers withdrew and the police helicopter was scrambled.

Evans then abandoned the moped and officers gave chase on foot before eventually finding him hidden in a garden.

He had discarded a pair gloves, and the bolt croppers were found stashed under the seat of the stolen moped.

Evans said nothing during his police interview, but admitted charges of taking a vehicle without the owner's consent, going equipped theft, driving while banned and without insurance during an earlier hearing at Leeds Magistrates' Court.

Evans, of Tombridge Crescent, Kinsley, had been jailed for 25 months in April of last year for two counts of dangerous driving, including driving across a playing field where children were playing. Click here to read that story.He was also banned from driving for five years.

He was released on licence before the half-way stage of his sentence before going on to steal the moped.

Mitigating, James Holding told the court that Evans has one child with his partner who is now expecting another.

He said: "He knows a custodial sentence is inevitable. He is remorseful for his actions and knows if he keeps offending he will miss more and more of his children's lives.

"He is young and has plenty of time to turn his life around, should he choose to do so.

"He makes no excuse for his behaviour, the only reason he took off was because he was disqualified and would get into trouble."

The judge, Recorder Gurdial Singh, handed him a new 14-month jail term in a young offenders' institute and gave him a 21-month driving ban, to run concurrently with his existing driving ban. He will not be legally permitted to drive until at least March 2027.

He told Evans: "It's yet another offence of dangerous driving and was committed so soon after your release for identical offences.

"You have clearly not learned your lesson. There is only one sentence, and that is a custodial term."