Drug-using biker who went to buy a soft drink led police on 70mph chase through residential streets in Wakefield

Judge Geoffrey Marson QC said it was an "absolute blessing" that nobody was killed after 23-year-old Jordan Andrew Burnham took his father's 500cc Kawasaki, despite having no licence or insurance, Leeds Crown Court heard this week.

The bike was flagged as having no MOT when police spotted Burnham riding along Flanshaw Lane in Wakefield on the afternoon of December 1, 2019.

Prosecutor David Ward said the police then activated their blue lights but Burnham accelerated away.

In a chase which lasted more than three-and-a-half minutes, he overtook numerous vehicles at speed by crossing onto the opposite side of the road.

Mr Ward said Burnham had no regard for pedestrians walking along the pathways as his speed fluctuated between 50mph and 70mph along Batley Road, Wrenthorpe Lane, Wrenthorpe Road, Potovens Lane, Ledger Lane, Leeds Road and Newton Lane.

At one stage he went through a red light at 70mph.

The pursuing officers then drove to the address to where the bike was registered and found Burnham in the clothes he had been wearing during the chase.

He admitted to the officers he had been a "right idiot".

He said he had taken the keys to the bike after his father fell asleep on the settee.

He was tested and found to be over the limit for cannabis, admitting he had smoked the drug about two hours before taking the bike.

Burnham, of Shilling Street, Wakefield, admitted a charge of dangerous driving, being over the drug-drive limit for cannabis and having no licence or insurance.

The court was told that Burnham had 16 convictions for 24 offences, including drink driving from 2016.

Mitigating, Shufquat Khan said: "He is a young man who made a huge mistake.

"The decision he made was irrational and stupid for the purpose of going to buy a soft drink.

"When he looks back at it, it was with immediate regret and remorse."

He described Burnham was a "hard-working young man" who held down a job at a food factory.

He said that his cannabis use had been a problem but was no longer an issue.

Judge Geoffrey Marson QC told Burnham: "You have a bad record and you took the bike for a trivial and ridiculous reason without you father's knowledge.

"You drove at grossly-excessive speed through residential areas, traffic lights, overtook at ridiculous points and caused significant risk of serious harm.

"It's an absolute blessing that nobody was injured or worse.

"You are hard-working young man but only a custodial sentence can be justified.

"But I'm persuaded not to send you to immediately to prison today, but I'm not letting you off, I can assure you of that. "

He gave Burnham a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, gave him a three-year driving ban and a four-month electronic tag curfew.

The judge added: "This is reserved to me so if you come before me again I will have no hesitation in sending you to prison."