Road menace hit 90mph in 30 zone and wrote off two cars during police chase

A Newcastle man jailed for his part in the Sunderland riot has now been sentenced for a separate police pursuit that saw him drive at 90mph in a 30 zone and plough into two cars.

Jack Fowler, 25, formerly of Northbourne Street, Elswick, was behind the wheel of a stolen Land Rover Discovery when police tried to stop him on the A189 near Moor Farm Roundabout last May.

Instead, Fowler sped off — hitting over 100mph, running red lights and forcing officers to abandon the chase multiple times due to the danger he posed to the public.

The Land Rover, stolen three days earlier, was later seen tearing through Gosforth and Great North Road at twice the speed limit, driving the wrong way into oncoming traffic and forcing pedestrians to jump back to avoid being hit.

Near Redheugh Bridge, Fowler rammed between two cars, writing off both and causing more than £17,000 of damage before fleeing on foot. Police later found a machete and knife inside the wrecked vehicle.

He was arrested after being tracked down by helicopter and has since admitted dangerous driving, handling stolen goods and possessing weapons.

Already serving a four-year jail term for drug offences, Fowler was sentenced to a further 22 months, to run concurrently, and banned from driving.

Judge Recorder Andrew Latimer told him:

“When you drive this way you are putting yourself and ordinary members of the public at serious risk.”