A YOUNG north Cumbrian motorist given a suspended jail term for dangerous driving has been given a last chance to stay out of prison after he used two illicit drugs.

Tyler Routledge, 21, who also missed two appointments with probation staff, admitted that his use of cannabis and cocaine, amounted to a breach of the 17-month suspended sentence order he was given in September of last year.

Carlisle Crown Court heard that despite still serving that sentence, with the custody element suspended for 18 months, he turned in two positive drugs test results.

One was for cocaine and the other for cannabis.

His original offending involved him leading police on two high-speed night-time pursuits, with police reaching 80mph as they tailed him along country roads.

One pursuit ended with his car crashing in a farmyard near Dundraw off the B5302, his car being left wedged between  a dwelling and stable.

At Carlisle Crown Court, Judge Michael Fanning told Routledge, of Osborne Terrace, Abbeytown, that he would not get another chance to avoid serving the suspended jail term.

The judge told him: “I am told that you are extremely anxious and terrified of going to prison.

“But you will be going to prison for 17 months, and associating with people who are much tougher than you. You would not enjoy that time at all.”

The best thing that could be said for the defendant, said the judge, was that he had not reoffended again in a way that put the pubic directly at risk.

The judge continued: “You can only get one further chance. I am giving you that chance but it’s only one further chance. I am not going to extend the order.”

The judge did, however, add six months of drug rehabilitation requirement of the sentence. Judge Fanning added: “Start turning in clear tests. You should understand that cannabis stays in your system.

“It’s always going to show up; take cocaine and it’s going to show up. You are going to get caught… You have to stop taking cannabis and you have to stop taking cocaine, otherwise it will show up. Stay out of trouble; you have got to do better.”

The defendant’s progress on his drug rehabilitation order will be reviewed on March 21. Following his original sentencing hearing, the judge handed Routledge a 14-month ban. He must also pass an extended retest before driving independently.

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

Read more: Police catch Abbeytown dangerous driver, 20, after high speed chases