A CARPET fitter who “should never have been driving” crashed a van several times during a prolonged high speed police chase through south York, a court heard.

Elizabeth Noble, prosecuting, said Jack Steven Spaven, 24, was drug driving and didn’t have a driving licence or insurance for his van.

During the 50 mph chase on Gale Lane, Acomb, and in Dringhouses , he repeatedly drove on the pavement, the wrong side of the road and across junctions without checking for other traffic.

He finally leapt out as the van was still travelling at 10mph to 15 mph and ran off, leaving it to crash into a parked car.

His solicitor advocate Nicholas Hammond told York Crown Court in Leeds Spaven: “He bought the van thinking eventually he would learn to drive.”

Recorder Adrian Langdale QC told Spaven: “You should never have been driving that van. It is very much pure luck you didn’t kill or maim someone. This was a dreadful piece of driving.”

Spaven, of Thanet Road, Dringhouses, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, drug driving, driving without a licence and driving without insurance.

“All the time he has the vehicle he will have the temptation to get back into the vehicle,” the judge said and confiscated the van.

He also banned Spaven from driving for two years and ordered him to take an extended driving test before driving unsupervised in future.

After hearing from Mr Hammond that Spaven was a “very hard working man” and that he took his family responsibilities seriously, the judge said such attitudes should be encouraged.

He passed an 18-month community order with 25 days’ rehabilitative activities, a six-month drug rehabilitation requirement and 200 hours’ unpaid work.