A YOUNG man with no driving licence led police on two dangerous, high speed night time chases in the space of just 10 days.

Tyler Routledge, 20, was first spotted just after midnight on July 21 in the Wigton area. Routledge was behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Golf he’d previously bought despite having no licence and no insurance.

A police officer activated blue lights seeking to halt Routledge who accelerated away, taking sharp turns at excessive speeds on single track country roads with no lights.

Police hit 80mph as they sought to stop Routledge, who sped across a junction with the A596 and on to the B5302 towards the Dundraw. He turned into a farm yard dead end with the car found by police wedged between a dwelling and a stable having crashed.

A passenger was detained after the eight-minute pursuit but Routledge made off. “Your mother has to tell you to go and hand yourself in to the police,” Recorder Julian Shaw observed at Carlisle Crown Court.

Routledge was arrested and bailed. But 10 days later, at 11pm on July 31, he came to the police’s attention again in identical circumstances. “The same constable was on mobile patrol and conducted a police national computer check on a Volkswagen Passat,” said prosecutor Ben Stanley.

It was flagged as uninsured and driver Routledge again took off at excessive speed despite the officer activating blue lights. He drove at 40mph in 30mph areas, including a residential zone and then a caravan site where the Golf was abandoned with the engine running. There were two passengers and, when Routledge was located by police using a search dog, he had cocaine in his possession.

“He has constantly ignored the rules of the road,” said Mr Stanley, “driving at excessive speeds on rural country roads, clipping verges.”

Routledge, of Osborne Terrace, Abbeytown admitted dangerous driving, having no licence or insurance and cocaine possession.

Kim Whittlestone, defending, said: “He was with others who were older and are more criminally experienced.”

Miss Whittlestone drew attention to challenges in Routledge’s personal life and said he could be rehabilitated. “He is genuinely remorseful and genuinely fearful of custody,” she added.

Recorder Shaw suspended a 17-month jail term for 18 months after hearing mitigation and considering a probation officer’s detailed report. Routledge must complete 140 hours’ unpaid work, work with the probation service and a drug rehabilitation requirement. He was also disqualified from driving for 14 months and must take an extended test. Both cars will be forfeited.

“You tell a probation officer you don’t believe your driving was dangerous. You come to that conclusion because miraculously nobody else was there,” said the judge.

But he told Routledge: “It was incredibly dangerous. You don’t know what is around the corner.” The idea that you could outdrive trained police officers in a high performance unmarked police car is ludicrous.”

Warning him to stay out of trouble, Recorder Shaw also said: “Whatever the boys say, however exciting it might seem to be, however dangerous, you will go to prison.”