A TEENAGE driver who reached speeds of up to 80mph in 30mph zones in Newport whilest pursued by police, was almost four times over the legal drugs limit at the time.

Ross Appleby, of Power Street, off Barrack Hill, Newport, was 18 years old when he tried to escape traffic police on the night of Sunday April 30 this year.

Judge Tom Crowther, sentencing him to a total of eight months in youth custody, told Appleby it was plain he drove at “wholly excessive speed”.

He had, said Judge Crowther, presented “an acute danger to other road users”. Newport Crown Court was told by prosecuting counsel Michael Hammett that a police officer saw a VW Scirocco car being driven dangerously along the city’s Queensway around midnight. Its horn was sounding and it passed through a red light.

Forty-five minutes later, it was spotted at a petrol station on Malpas Road. As a police car pulled in, the Scirocco sped off, said Mr Hammett, “wheels spinning, towards the city centre”.

Narrowly avoiding a collision with another vehicle, it went over Town Bridge onto Clarence Place, avoiding traffic waiting at lights by the cenotaph by moving into the wrong lane and passing through on red.

The pursuit continued along Chepstow Road, reaching up to 80mph, with the Scirocco passing through red lights and overtaking several vehicles.

It passed over a ‘stinger’ device deployed by police and near the Royal Oak pub mounted a pavement, and a passenger got out and ran off.

The vehicle, later found to have false plates, was then driven off-road into Ringland and the police lost sight of it.

It was found abandoned shortly afterwards, and Appleby was found a few streets away with the aid of a police dog. He tested positive for cocaine, being almost four times over the drugs limit for driving. He was also a provisional licence holder and that licence had been endorsed with eight points just 18 days previously for licence and insurance offences.

Appleby, who told police he borrowed the car from a friend, was “contrite” about the latter offences and showed remorse when arrested, said defence counsel Kevin Seal.

He added that Appleby had a difficult upbringing and began taking drugs after meeting other people.

“He does not seek to blame them, but there must have been some influence,” said Mr Seal.

He added that it was “fortunate that he, his passenger, and members of the public were not injured, and he accepts that.”

Appleby, now aged 19, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to charges of dangerous driving, and driving under the influence of drugs.

He was sentenced to eight months in youth custody for the former charge, and two months for the latter, to run concurrently.

He was disqualified from driving for two years and four months, and his licence was endorsed for new licence and insurance offences.