A SOUTH Cumbria businessman has been jailed for leading police on a 100mph late night high speed chase while over the drink-drive limit.

Officers spotted Nathan Draper, 22, behind the wheel of a Toyota Hilux, on Burton Road in Kendal, just before 11pm on Friday, 23rd February. The Hilux had no lights on and failed to stop despite the patrol vehicle’s blue lights and sirens being activated.

During the course of several minutes, over a distance of around 11 miles, Draper led police on a high speed chase on the A65 and A590 which ended in Church Road in Levens.

Carlisle Crown Court heard Draper drove on the wrong side of the road, over solid white lines, on blind bends, through a red roadworks traffic light and smashed through lane closure cones. He also flashed his lights to intimidate other drivers.

Some were forced to take desperate avoiding action and there were three near head-on collisions during the incident.

Police reached speeds of 90mph entering Endmoor and in another area hit up between 95 and 106mph, including through roadworks, without appearing to gain on the Hilux.

The chase ended when the vehicle left the road and crashed. Draper got out. “He tried to climb over a fence and was arrested,” said prosecutor Shada Mellor.

Draper — almost two-and-a-half times the legal drink-drive limit — admitted charges of excess alcohol and dangerous driving.

Businessman Draper had admitted to being “stupid”, and that he “didn’t think the situation through”, said his barrister, Rachel Faux.

One of several people who provided positive character references asked that he be “considered for his merits as well as his terrible mistake”.

“It is fair to say Mr Draper is a hard-working, giving man,” said Ms Faux, who suggested any prison sentence could be suspended.

But Judge Michael Fanning said the offending was so serious that only an immediate jail term of 10 months could be justified.

“I have been looking at cases of this nature for 30-odd years now and it is as bad a piece of driving as I have seen where no damage or serious injury or death was caused,” said the experienced judge. “I do not know how nobody was killed or injured.”

Judge Fanning concluded: “The public would be aghast at the idea that somebody could drive in this fashion when drunk and avoid imprisonment.”

Draper, of Hincaster, near Milnthorpe, must serve a 22-month driving ban when released from custody, and take an extended re-test.