A JEWELLERY raider who led police on a 140mph chase that ended with him driving the wrong way on the A1 has been jailed.

Police in York were on the lookout for Johari Nazir Carter after he got away with three Rolex watches worth £18,900 from a city centre jewellers’ on January 9, said Rob Galley, prosecuting.

They spotted him in Friargate on his return to the city during shop opening hours on January 26.

At the start of the 34-minute pursuit that followed he narrowly missed a cyclist waiting to turn right into Cemetery Road and a car coming the other way as he overtook a bendy bus in Fishergate.

He undertook cars on the A64 as he drove at 100mph on the hard shoulder and weaved from lane to lane, hit 140mph after turning onto the A1, went the wrong way round a roundabout and forced cars to take evasive action at the A63/A1 junction and drove the wrong way along the hard shoulder of a link road at the M62/A1M junction.

After narrowly missing police trying to corner him in Darrington golf club car park, he drove northbound up the A1 southbound carriageway as cars swerved to avoid him and a police helicopter shadowed him.

He crashed into a southbound car, spinning off onto the verge before taking off on foot over a roundabout, but was finally cornered by three police cars and police officers on foot.

After watching videos of Carter’s driving, Judge Andrew Stubbs QC said: “I am struggling to find words to describe the driving… which lasted half an hour, at incredibly reckless speeds with incredibly reckless manoeuvres, displayed a determination to avoid police on a number of occasions and it ended with you driving the wrong way down a dual carriageway causing a collision that caused injuries, mercifully not serious injuries.”

Carter, 27, of Clock Tower Court, Milnrow, Rochdale, pleaded guilty to theft and dangerous driving at York Crown Court. He was jailed for three years and given a five and a half year driving ban.

West Yorkshire and Manchester police are currently investigating him in connection with other crimes, the court heard.

For him, Amy Levitt said he had become paranoid when he saw the police van following him from the Skeldergate and Tower Street junction.

Mr Galley said Carter posed as a genuine customer in Christopher Brown jewellers’ in High Ousegate on January 9. There he had a watch on both wrists when he lulled the assistant into going into a side room to discuss strap adjustments with a colleague.

Then he grabbed a third watch lying on the counter and made off with all three. The crime was caught on CCTV and police alerted.

The judge said he had deliberately travelled from Rochdale to target the York jewellers’.

When police spotted Carter on January 26, they saw him get into the Vauxhall in Castle car park and a police van started following him.

Police had to abandon the chase several times on safety grounds, but other officers took it up.

Carter travelled on the A1246 and country roads as well as the major trunk routes.

Miss Levitt said Carter had thrown away the watches he stole. He stole them to pay off debts he had run up as he was addicted to gambling.