Driver fleeing police took to pavement to escape

A cocaine-fuelled driver who led a police chase through the centre of York has been jailed.

Lee Oakley, 44, ran numerous red lights and mounted the pavement several times during the chase on 14 February last year, causing pedestrians to jump out the way.

Oakley, of Coatham Road in Stockton-on-Tees, had crashed into the back of a police car before leading the pursuit as officers tried to stop the blue Nissan X-trail he was driving.

The defendant, who pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and drug driving, was sentenced to two years and 16 weeks in prison at Teesside Crown Court on Monday.

Oakley, who at the time of the chase was banned from driving until May 2027, crashed into a parked vehicle, causing £300 of damage, and was later caught when he was blocked in a cul-de-sac.

He later tested positive for cocaine, while police said the Nissan had false numberplates and had been stolen from the Greater Manchester area six months previously.

Sgt Neil Sisson said: "During the pursuit, Oakley drove dangerously with no regard for other road users, his driving clearly falling way below the standards of a careful and competent driver."

Oakley was also disqualified from driving for 61 months.

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