Uninsured biker panicked at blue lights and led cops on high-speed chase through Sutton

Officers turned saw Kevin Hunter travelling in the opposite direction and began to pursue him at 10.20pm on January 3, said prosecutor Andrew Conboy.

He ran red lights and went the wrong way over a roundabout before losing control of the bike on Brand Lane.

He later told police he found the bike on Facebook Marketplace and met the seller in a Sutton school car park where he paid £500 in cash.

He said he panicked because he wasn't insured and had no licence.

Mr Conboy said the offences attract a starting point after a trial of 36 weeks in custody and range between a high level community order and up to 18 months in prison.

The court heard he was last in trouble for theft in 2015 when he received a suspended sentence at Gloucester Crown Court.

Hunter, who represented himself, said: “I am disgusted with my actions and I totally put my hands up.

"I have tried to turn my life around over the last few years and become a scaffolder. I don't drink, I don't take drugs. It's just me and my dog.

“I couldn't stop because of the blue lights behind me. I panicked. I am sorry. I deserve everything I get.”

He said he has been unable to work as a self-employed scaffolder after breaking his ankle and the inevitable driving ban will have a knock-on effect on his business.

Custody would be “devastating”, he said, adding: “I have tried hard to be a normal person.”

Hunter, aged 39, of Sherwood Road, Retford, admitted dangerous driving, and driving without insurance or a licence, when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Tuesday.

He received 24 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, with ten rehabilitation days to help him with his thinking skills and 200 hours of unpaid work.

He was disqualified for 12 months and must take an extended driving test before he can drive. He was ordered to pay a £154 surcharge and £85 costs.