A SIXTEEN-year-old boy from Carlisle led police on a high-speed police pursuit during which he sped along the M6 at 120mph.

The youth also raced through a series of red traffic lights in north Carlisle after leaving the motorway at Junction 44, reaching more twice the speed limit. 

At the city’s Youth Court, the boy – previously detained for using a car to attempt to cause a person grievous bodily harm – admitted five offences. They were dangerous driving, two counts of driving while disqualified, and two charges of driving while uninsured.

Prosecutor George Shelley described the offending.

He said that on September 12 a police officer spotted the defendant – already a banned driver – parking his vehicle in the car park next to the city's Warwick Road branch of Tesco.

After visiting the store with another male, the 16-year-old was seen getting into the car’s driving seat and then driving away towards the motorway.

“The officer followed as the car went on to the M6 north bound, where the vehicle accelerated away at speed,” said the prosecutor.

The police officer followed as the teenager’s car reached 120 while approaching Junction 44 before turning on to the slip road. At this point the pursing officer, activated the blue light and siren on his unmarked patrol car.

Mr Shelley said: “The defendant drove through a red traffic light, turning left on to Kingstown Road. He drove through another set of red trafic lights, weaving from side to side before driving through a further set of red traffic lights at 64mph, not looking to see if there were any other vehicles approaching.

“He drove on the wrong side of the road, narrowly missing a traffic island, and then went through a further set of traffic lights at 53mph. The speed limit is 30mph.” The teenager had to take evasive action to avoid a collision.

He drove on the wrong side of the road for a considerable distance.

Due to the risk posed by the teenager's driving, police abandoned the pursuit but later found the car involved locked and abandoned in nearby Lowry Hill.

The court heard that the defendant ib a separate occasion acquired another car and drove it, despite being a disqualified driver.

Police became involved after getting a report of the car colliding with a parked vehicle and then driving away. The defendant was spotted at the wheel of that car – again illegally - as he took it through the McDonald’s drive-through restaurant at Kingstown.

The court heard that in February the youth was given a 24-month detention and training order at Carlisle Crown Court, along with a four-year ban.

Mark Shepherd, defending, said that a recent law change had led to the defendant’s early release from custody, but he now appreciated that in some ways he was not ready for that early release.

“He’s been diagnosed with ADHD while in custody,” said the lawyer. The teenager had been told that taking the medication which was offered to him would prevent him from reckless decisions and doing “dangerous things.”

Mr Shepherd said that some young males do mature until they reach the age of 25.

Because the ADHD medication was affecting the defendant's ability to sleep, he refused to take it. “There’s not doubt that driving as quickly as he did on that motorway, and making the manoeuvres he did, was thrill-seeking behaviour.

“He was getting a rush, without thinking of the consequences for him, the consequences for his family, or more importantly the consequences for anybody else who could have been caught in the crossfire.”

The youth had cried while talking to a Youth Justice Service worker. Mr Shepherd added: “He needs to stop this impulsive behaviour; the last thing he wants is to spend the majority of the best years of his life in custody.

“It would be a complete and utter waste.”

Told that the teenager did not like the side effects of his ADHD medication, presiding magistrate Maureen Appleton said: “Nothing is going to change until he takes that medication." Turning to the youth, she told him: "You could have killed people and you could have caused absolute mayhem on the motorway.

“You are very fortunate it didn’t happen.”

The magistrates imposed a 10-month detention and training order along with a five month extension to the defendant’s existing 53 month driving ban. He will have to pass an extended driving test before he can drive without supervision.