Drunk singer jailed after 117mph Black Country police chase

A drunk professional singer, who put on a terrifying performance as he reached speeds of up to 117 mph in a bid to out run police cars, was behind bars today.

Peter Wayre was still driving at 97mph after two of his BMW's tyres were punctured by a stinger – a strip of spikes intended to bring a vehicle to a halt, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

The 35-year-old singer continued to speed as part of the car fell off after crashing into a barrier and the tyres disintegrated, leaving the BMW trailing a shower of sparks as it travelled on the metal rim of at least one wheel before finally being forced to a standstill, said Mr Peter Grice, prosecuting.

The drama started after an unmarked police car spotted the defendant driving too fast on Darlaston Road, Wednesbury, after performing in the area on June 18.

WATCH Wayre performing a medley of hits

The officers indicated they wanted him to stop but he ignored the flashing lights while accelerating to 55mph in a 30 limit on the way to Junction 9 of the M6 where the car hit the roundabout barrier, damaging the offside front wing, before joining the motorway.

It hurtled south shadowed by several police cars - the windscreen of one was hit by debris from the BMW - until it turned off onto the Aston Expressway which it left after a short distance to rejoin in the opposite direction as it returned to the M6, this time heading north, explained Mr Grice.

It left at Junction 11 where the stinger was laid by police on the exit roundabout but he continued onto the M54 to head back southbound on the M6 until he took the Junction 9 exit and was forced to stop on the slip road, added the prosecutor, who disclosed the BMW reached a top speed of 117mph and 97mph with two deflated tyres.

The defendant blew a reading of 50 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Miss Nicole Steers, defending the self employed singer, confessed: "He has no recollection as to where he went.

"He is unfamiliar with the area and had performed locally earlier in the evening.

Deeply ashamed

"He had left his hotel to get something to eat when he saw an unmarked car flash its lights, panicked and made off. He is deeply ashamed of the appalling driving that followed."

Wayre, from Wadsworth Street, Halifax, is described on the internet as a 'renowned and award winning vocalist who is one of the leading figures on the 1940s events circuit'.

He had a previous conviction for harassment and pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, drink driving and causing criminal damage while having neither insurance nor a valid licence.

Judge Jinder Singh Boora jailed him for six months with a two-year driving ban on release and said after viewing CCTV footage from one of the pursuing police cars: "What I saw is as bad as driving can get. It is hard to imagine anything more dangerous.

"The footage clearly shows the wheel rim making contact with the road surface creating so may sparks it looks like flames.

"You could have killed yourself, a police officer or another road user."