Drink-driver Luke Straw switched off his lights before leading police on 70mph chase in Ilkeston

A DRINK-DRIVER switched off his lights and drove at 70mph while trying to avoid the police, a court heard.

Luke Straw led officers on a late-night chase in Ilkeston after they tried to stop him as he left a supermarket.

Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court heard how the 26-year-old had been at a party and had taken a Volkswagen Golf from a woman – who had not given her consent – to fetch more booze.

Police spotted him and his friends outside the Tesco store, in Rutland Street, at 1am on July 28 last year.

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The court heard officers waited for the Golf to leave and then followed it.

Lee Shepherd, prosecuting, said: "Police followed it on to Millership Way, where it turned its lights off and accelerated up to 70mph in a 50mph limit. Officers pursued the car into Coronation Road and then Soloman Road and into an industrial estate.

"The car, still with its lights off, slowed to 5mph when the driver's door suddenly opened and the driver jumped out and tried to run away.

"One officer stopped the car, while another chased the driver, who was Mr Straw, and grabbed him and then arrested him."

Mr Shepherd said two samples of breath were taken and the lowest reading was 93 microgrammes of alcohol per 100ml of breath. The legal drink-drive limit is 35mg.

The court was told Straw, of Kedleston Drive, Ilkeston, had a previous drink-driving conviction in 2007.

Straw pleaded guilty to taking the vehicle without the owner's consent, drink-driving and failing to stop for police.

David Cusack, for Straw, said his client was a self-employed joiner who, on the night of the offence, had volunteered to go to the store to buy more alcohol for friends at the party.

Mr Cusack said: "It was a monumental mistake and he recognises that he just panicked and turned off the car's lights when he realised he was being followed by the police. He realises what a fool he has been and he is very sorry for his actions."

Magistrate Dorothy Dent handed Straw a 12-month community order with 120 hours' unpaid work.

She also disqualified him from driving for three years and told him to pay £85 costs.

Mrs Dent said: "Buckle down, get the unpaid work done because you are a hard-working chap."