A BUILDER who sped off from the police at more than 100mph up the A650 Aire Valley Road and then lied saying he wasn’t the driver has been spared an immediate jail sentence.

Dominic Brennand was told to pull over in his Vauxhall Astra on Hard Ings Road, Keighley, at 5pm on August 25 last year, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Instead he accelerated off up the A650, prosecutor Philip Adams said.

Brennand, 26, of Hawksworth Lane, Guiseley, was getting away from the police when their marked vehicle was doing 105mph, the court was told.

Officers lost sight of him and abandoned the pursuit but found out that Brennand owned the car. They also recognised him from an old custody photo on their records.

Two hours later, at 7pm, Brennand reported that the Astra had been stolen.

Mr Adams said that four days’ later, a member of the public reported that the car had been abandoned outside their house in Bingley.

The police saw CCTV footage of Brennand getting out of the Astra and collecting items from the boot.

He was sent a Notice of Intended Prosecution but maintained the lie that the car had been stolen that evening.

He had previous convictions for resisting a police constable, assaulting a police officer and disorderly conduct but he had been out of trouble for five years.

He pleaded guilty at the crown court to dangerous driving and to doing acts, namely providing false information to the police, which had a tendency to pervert the course of public justice.

The court heard in mitigation that he was very remorseful and acted out of panic.

He had made two incredibly bad decisions and knew he had been ‘absolutely stupid.’ Brennand lied to the police because he feared he would lose his job and his home.

He was very fearful of going to prison and would never behave in this way again.

Judge Colin Burn said some form of custodial sentence was unavoidable.

Brennand had done about 100mph at 5pm while he was being pursued by the police.

Then he had lied after officers had actually seen him in the driving seat. They had a photograph of him so the deception was completely implausible. The police weren’t fooled at all.

Judge Burn said Brennand had been out of trouble for five years before committing these offences. He had a partner, a stable home and a job.

He was jailed for six months, suspended for two years, with 180 hours of unpaid work.

He was banned from driving for 12 months, and until he passes an extended test, and ordered to pay £120 court costs.