A DANGER driver hit 100 mph-plus with his car lights switched off during a late night police chase on a rural north Cumbria road in his dad’s car.

Carlisle Magistrates’ Court heard how a constable began tailing the Volkswagen Golf following an incident in the village of Abbeytown on August 3 year.

Andrew Miller, now aged 32, was the driver of that car.

Prosecutor George Shelley told the court: “Mr Miller was in his father’s Volkswagen Golf.

“The main witness is a police constable who eventually pursued the defendant driving the vehicle. He drove off in the dark, at night, on a country lane, with no lights, on at speeds of up to 70mph in a 30mph zone.

“The headlights were off and intermittently put on just to see where he was going, on bends etc, during a pursuit by the PC on rural lanes with no street lighting.”

At one stage the Golf’s speed was significantly increased to more than 100mph.

Mr Shelley told how Miller lost control of the car, saying: “It rolled numerous times into a dyke. Mr Miller had to be taken to hospital for attention. There was a passenger in the vehicle also.”

Miller pleaded guilty to dangerous driving between Abbeytown and the hamlet of Aldoth.

In view of the circumstances, Mr Shelley suggested the sentencing starting point was an 18-month custodial term with a range of one to two years.

No representations were made by Miller’s lawyer. And deputy district judge Mary Dowrick concluded that the matter was so grave that magistrates’ court sentencing powers were insufficient.

The case was sent to Carlisle Crown Court, where Miller is due to receive his punishment from a judge on October 15. A probation service background report will be prepared in the meantime, and Miller, of Greenacres, Wigton, was granted unconditional bail.

“This is a very, very serious incident,” deputy district judge Dowrick told the defendant. “Far too serious for the sentence to be dealt with in this court.”

In response, Miller simply said: “Sorry, your honour.”