A GARDENER gave a display of “very dangerous driving” around Clifton Moor and in Tesco's car park during a Sunday afternoon, York Crown Court heard.

Samuel James Edward Collinson, 22, went through red lights, overtook on blind bends, forced other cars to take evasive action to avoid him, ignored police orders to pull over as he sped through the popular shopping area, and zigzagged back and forth across the car park, said Brooke Morrison, prosecuting.

His lengthy bad driving ended when he drove out of the car park through the entrance against the one-way system and was boxed in by two police cars.

“I’m generally not like that,” he told the court. “It was a one-off, that driving.”

“It was a display of very dangerous driving,” Recorder Mariga Mostafa told him.

She passed a 15-month prison sentence, but suspended it for two years on condition that he stays in his home every night for three months from 8pm to 6am and do 150 hours’ unpaid work.

Collinson was also banned from driving for 15 months, must take an extended driving test before driving alone again and pay £425 prosecution costs.

She read a pre-sentence report written in which the probation officer who interviewed Collinson said the 22-year-old is receiving medication for neurological problems and medical staff are investigating whether he has a brain tumour.

Collinson, of Lindsey Avenue, Acomb, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving. He attended court via a video link from Hull Prison where he was being held in custody.

Ms Morrison said Collinson went through a red light on Water End at speed at 3.30pm on October 11, 2020. A police officer in a marked police car two cars behind chased after him and tried to get him to pull over.

But though other cars pulled over until she was directly before him, Collinson kept driving and made no attempt to stop.

He claimed afterwards he thought the police was after a car ahead of him and that he panicked.

When Collinson overtook stationary traffic in a queue, the officer had to abandon the case on safety grounds, other police picked up the chase on Stirling Road.

Collinson overtook a vehicle at speed on a blind bend, forced another vehicle to brake sharply to avoid a collision on a roundabout and headed into the Tesco car park.

There he ignored its one-way system, zigzagging back and forth across the parking area and going through empty spaces before overtaking other cars entering the car park as he exited via the entrance.

But a police car coming towards him blocked his path and the pursuing police car came up behind him stopping him from going back and he was arrested.

The dangerous driving lasted 10 to 15 minutes, said Ms Morrison.