A BANNED driver seen by the police in Appleby at the town's Horse Fair narrowly missed pedestrians as his car mounted a pavement during an escape bid.

Joseph Balfe, 24, drove dangerously for about a minute on June 9 at Appleby Horse Fair, three months after he was released from jail term for similar offending, Carlisle Crown Court heard.

The defendant admitted dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, being uninsured, drug driving, and possessing the class B drug cannabis. Prosecutor Isabella Denn-White outlined the facts.

She said magistrates in Bolton gave the defendant a ban for dangerous driving which is not due to expire until October of next year. He was also given a jail term, and released from this on March 13 this year.

During this year’s Appleby Horse Fair, officers noticed a silver VW Golf drive past them and, after checking, confirmed that it was not insured.

Activating the blue lights and siren of their unmarked patrol car, the officers followed the VW but the driver then drove on to the pavement and 'undertook' a line of traffic.

“It narrowly missed a horse and trap and pedestrians,” said the barrister.

The car drove towards the centre of Appleby on to Bridge Street where Balfe, realising the area was too crowded for him to escape, stopped and left the car and tried to flee.

He was arrested a short time later. Defence barrister Peter Gilmour said the defendant admitted his guilt immediately.

“He described his own behaviour that day as stupidity,” said the barrister. “He suffers from ADHD, though he does not seek to blame that. He recognises he is in a very serious position.  The dangerous driving seems to have lasted a minute or so.”

The barrister said Balfe stopped after seeing how crowded the area was and he had not wanted to cause any injury. “There is a prospect of rehabilitation,” said the barrister. “This is someone who has problems but he is slowly starting to change his ways.”

Judge Michael Fanning noted that the defendant’s past offending – 16 offences in all – were vehicle related.

“You should not have been driving at all because you were banned and it was aggravated because you were over the limit for cannabis, and because the vehicle was uninsured,” said the judge.

Three months after he was released from jail, he had chosen to drive to Appleby Horse Fair, while the car was uninsured. When the police tried to stop him, he decided they would not and began his course of dangerous driving.

“It was sheer idiocy,” said the judge. “Fortunately, it was a very short-lived episode. You decided to stop when you realised the stupidity of what you were doing and there was no real chance of getting away.

“You stopped the vehicle and tried to make off from the police.”

Noting the previous dangerous driving, Judge Fanning continued: “The bottom line is that somebody who drives in this fashion has to expect to go to prison, more so when they've already had a warning shot across their bows from the courts about their driving on previous occasions.

“The public need to be safeguarded from you, even if that is only in the short term. For that reason, this has to be an immediate prison sentence!”

Balfe, of Hazel Avenue, Bury, was jailed for ten months.

He was also given a three year driving ban, with a five month extension to cover the period he will be in custody before his release on licence.

He will have to pass an extended retest before driving independently.

Judge Fanning urged Balfe to dwell on the real potential consequences to others of such driving, adding “because you are running out of luck and if you run out of luck someone else will get hurt, or killed, or their property damaged.

“You have to grow up.”