A ROGUE motorist led police on a high-speed chase through Newport before being caught driving while disqualified for the 18th time.

Lee Mears sped at 80mph in a 40mph zone, drove on the wrong side of the road around a blind bend and caused a lorry to brake sharply to avoid a crash.

The pursuit lasted 25 minutes as he was chased through the Spytty, Goldcliff and Nash areas of the city on the night of Friday, December 15 last year.

Mears hit another driver causing damage to his wing mirror, Cardiff Crown Court was told.

The 35-year-old and his Citroen Boxer van were only brought to a halt after a stinger device was deployed to deflate his tyres.

MORE NEWS: Teenager caught drug dealing just after release from young offender institution

Sarah Iles, prosecuting, said: “The defendant made a deliberate decision to ignore the rules of the road.”

South Wales Argus: Lee Mears

He had been driving to collect scrap metal which was for sale.

Mears, of Caerleon Road, Dinas Powys pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and driving with no insurance.

He has 26 previous convictions for 98 offences.

The defendant had 17 previous convictions for driving while disqualified and two for dangerous driving.

His barrister Ross McQuillan-Johnson said in mitigation: “He no longer partakes in recreational drug use.”

He told the court Mears had a job waiting for him as a scaffolder once he left prison.

The defendant had spent six weeks in custody following his arrest last month.

Recorder Celia Hughes told Mears: “You drove for a significant distance and there were many examples of dangerous driving.

“This was an entirely avoidable episode.

“Your position was made even worse by your foolhardy decision to try and escape from the police.

“Your driving was so egregiously bad that night.

“You have disregarded so many sentences for driving while disqualified.”

Mears was jailed for 16 months and banned from driving for six years.