AN ABERTILLERY man who led police on an "outrageous" high speed chase - while banned for causing the death of a teenager by dangerous driving - has been sent to jail.

Gavin Meek, of George Dagger Avenue, appeared before Cardiff Crown Court yesterday for a case involving what the judge described as “an outrageous piece of prolonged dangerous driving”.

Speaking on Friday, prosecutor Thomas Roberts said Meek’s appearance came eight years after he was sent to a young offender’s institution for five and half years, and had his licence stripped for eight years, following the death of 15-year-old Nathan Higgins.

Now 27, Meek was still banned from driving when he stole a turquoise Vauxhall Corsa from outside a house in Newbridge on Wednesday December 16 last year, after its owner left it outside with the engine running and they keys in the ignition.

Nearly two weeks later, on Tuesday December 29, a police officer on patrol on the A472 in Abertillery spotted the car being driven at speed and signalled it to stop, but the driver ignored it and drove off.

The court was shown CCTV footage from the officer’s dashboard camera which showed an eight-minute chase during which the Corsa was driven at speeds of up to 85 mph, ignored repeated signals to pull over, and was driven on the wrong side of the road towards oncoming traffic, before eventually being forced to stop in Glandwr Industrial Estate.

previously admitting dangerous driving and aggravated vehicle taking as well as getting behind the wheel without insurance or a licence.

Caroline Rees, defending, said Meek, described as being interested in cars and had previously spent some time working at a garage, was under no illusion about the consequences of his behaviour.

“He drove in this way out of sheer panic knowing he would be going back to prison,” she said.

“Once the panic had started there was no rational response.

“He bitterly regrets his sheer stupidity on that day.”

Recorder Jeremy Jenkins condemned Meek’s behaviour, saying he had “no business being anywhere near a vehicle, let alone being behind the wheel”.

“It is by sheer luck no one was injured or killed,” he said

“It was quite honestly an outrageous piece of prolonged dangerous driving.”

But he said he recognised Meek had recognised the consequences of his actions and read out a statement he had made when he was arrested, in which he said: “The wider community would not be happy with me on the road. I’ve no experience, no insurance and no licence. I could have hurt a lot of people.”

Meek was jailed for 14 months for dangerous driving and 10 months for aggravated vehicle taking, to run consecutively.

Although he was handed no separate penalty for driving without a licence or insurance, he has been forbidden from holding a driving licence for another three years.