Jailed: Man drove wrong way and exceeded speed limit by 50mph in Wolverhampton police chase

Jamie Cohen was going so fast that all four wheels of his car came off the ground as he hurtled over speed bumps during the chase.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard how the 30-year-old ignored repeated requests to stop by officers.

Miss Joanne Barker, prosecuting, said Cohen sped away from police in Stafford Road, Bushbury, at 11.30pm on May 30.

The Vauxhall Corsa he was driving then accelerated down Three Tuns Lane at the start of a one-a-half-mile chase through residential streets, the court was told.

Miss Barker explained: "The police officers saw the car in the Wolverhampton area travelling at speed. They indicated that it should stop and he slowed and came to a standstill but drove off again as they approached the vehicle. There was then a one-and-a-half-mile chase at speeds of up to 80mph in a 30 limit."

During the pursuit, Cohen went the wrong way round a traffic island, failed to stop at junctions and hurtled over speed bumps so dangerously that police backed off from the Corsa to avoid an accident and lost contact with the car, it was said.

"It accelerated so quickly over traffic calming measures in the road that it was launched into the air," continued Miss Barker.

The Corsa was finally found parked and empty in Wolverhampton but inquiries quickly established that it was owned by Cohen's partner, explained the prosecutor.

The following day John Donnelly went to police and told officers that he had been driving the car, the court heard.

But this was quickly seen to be a lie and Mr Jon Roe, defending, insisted: "His claim did not throw police off the scent by one iota."

Cohen from Sundridge Walk, Merry Hill, Wolverhampton was arrested on June 3. He admitted dangerous driving and was jailed for nine months, banned from driving for two years and warned he would not get his licence back until he passed an extended driving test.

Donnelly, aged 24, of Winchester Road, Fordhouses, admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice and was given a seven-month prison sentence.

Judge John Warner told him: "I appreciate that the police inquiry was not diverted by the information you gave but this was not done in the heat of the moment. It was a considered decision."