A drink and drug driver with weapons in his car led police on a high speed chase, a court heard.

Jack Hopkins, 29, had been sniffing cocaine and drinking vodka shots when he got behind the wheel of his BMW in September last year.

Police were forced to throw down stingers in North Road, Hythe, shortly after 2.40am to bring Hopkins’ crazed driving to an end.

“Police saw the defendant driving his BMW coming from the A20 in Hythe,” explained prosecuting barrister Mary Jacobson.

“It caught their attention because of its erratic driving.

“They put their sirens and blue lights on but it failed to stop - it was losing control and fishtailing.”

Hopkins, of Moorstock Lane in Sellindge, forced a car to pull over before he swerved into the wrong side of a main road, Canterbury Crown Court heard.

The ground-worker was clocked doing 70mph in a 30mph zone and doubled a 40mph limit.

Miss Jacobson explained: “The car pulled straight into a main road without stopping or slowing, such that turning left he was on the wrong side of the road.

“Stingers were deployed and deflated three tyres, it stopped in North Road.”

“You could have killed a member of the public, you could have killed yourself..." - Judge James O'Mahony

A knuckle duster was found in his car boot and a lock-knife in the driver door pocket, and Hopkins smelt of alcohol the court heard.

He was arrested after being found unsteady on his feet and above the drink and drug drive limits - cocaine was discovered in his blood stream.

Hopkins made full admissions in police interview and claimed he panicked when he saw police, the court heard.

“(He) said he had several pints and 5-6 vodka shots and a line of cocaine.

“He accepted dangerous driving and said he had found the knuckle duster in a previous car and left it in his boot.

“He used the lock knife when he had previously worked,” Miss Jacobson added.

Hopkins pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving under the influence of drink and drugs, and carrying an offensive weapon at a previous hearing.

Mitigating barrister Philip Hill argued his client was not a persistent offender and the behaviour was out of character.

Judge James O'Mahony said: “You could have killed a member of the public, you could have killed yourself.

“You were responsible for a police chase that was only brought to an end by a stinger.”

However the judge said Hopkins was not criminally minded and had shown remorse.

He added the defendant was “highly thought of” within his community and a jail term could risk ruining his life.

In a shot across the bow Hopkins was sentenced to nine months in prison suspended for two years.

He was also placed on curfew for three months, banned from driving for two years, and fined £1,340.

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