A DANGEROUS driver with no insurance sped off from police through red lights and a busy supermarket car park, a court heard.

Roscoe Cowsill raced away from police near Barrow town centre before getting out of his car and trying to run away - only to be caught.

South Cumbria Magistrates' Court heard the 32-year-old travelled at high speeds as he failed to stop during a blue-light police pursuit.

Cowsill pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and driving without insurance following the incident on December 23.

Prosecutor Peter Kelly described how the motorist came to the attention of officers in a marked police car on Church Street after he failed to give way at a junction at around 6.30pm.

The defendant then made off towards Dalton Road and carried out a three-point turn that left him parallel with the police car.

Mr Kelly said Cowsill then drove off at speed and police started the pursuit under blue lights.

He failed to stop and carried on driving towards Market Street travelling at 50mph, later speeding through the car park at Tesco - described as being busy with shoppers just two days before Christmas.

Cowsill left the car park and drove towards Cornmill Crossing at around 60mph as the pursuit continued.

Eventually, he left the car and ran off, only to be caught and arrested by officers.

Mr Kelly said Cowsill ran through two red lights during the chase with police.

In mitigation, Michael Graham said: "He should've stopped - he panicked and he made off."

He said Cowsill had been struggling mentally after the recent breakdown of a relationship and that since the incident the defendant had sought out cognitive behavioural therapy to treat poor thinking skills.

"To his credit, he realised what he did was totally inappropriate and sat down to look at himself hard," Mr Graham said.

Magistrates sentenced Cowsill, of Barrow's Parker Street, to 18 weeks in prison - suspended for a year.

The defendant was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and banned from driving for a year.