A DANGEROUS drug driver sparked a dramatic police chase which saw him drive at highways workers and then on the wrong side of the road.

David Keating, 48, of Cedar Road, Canvey, failed to stop for officers and kept driving despite a burst tyre during the incident in Billericay.

Basildon Crown Court heard on Friday he was more than 100 times over the drug driving limit when police caught him.

Prosecuting, Oliver Newman, said: “On the day police were going to an unrelated incident with the emergency lights on and three drivers were in front of the police vehicle and two moved but the defendant did not.

“His driving became worse and worse including blind overtaking, driving at 55mph in a 30mph zone, driving over the pavement and curb.

“His driving kept deteriorating and he drove over a grass area to avoid traffic lights and road workers had to quickly jump out of the way.

“His tyre burst by he kept driving on the rim of the wheel and he also drove on the wrong site of the road at times.

“He was well over the drug driving limit, the legal limit for cocaine is 10 micrograms per liter but he had 178 in his blood.”

Mitigating, Adam Budworth, told the court his client was in the midst of a break down after the end of his marriage.

He said: “He was a hard worker and positive member of society.

"He worked in IT and for organisations like Heathrow airport and even worked in Dubai. He has symptoms of paranoia, anxiety and depression.”

Sentencing, recorder Mark Ainsworth, said: “You started a police pursuit and these are pointless as people rarely escape police in situations like this.”

Keating, of Cedar Road, was charged with dangerous driving, failing to stop and driving whilst being unfit through drugs following the incident on October 25, 2020.

For the charge of dangerous driving, he was handed a year prison sentence suspended for 18 months and ordered to complete 20 days rehabilitation activity requirement, 12 weeks of community service treatment requirement and 120 hours of unpaid work.

He was disqualified from driving for at least two years and will need to take an extended retest before driving again.

For the charge of drug driving, Keating was handed a two month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, with the same requirements. 

The sentences are to run concurrently.

There was no separate penalty for failing to stop.