A MAN has been jailed after stealing a car and leading police on an "extraordinarily" dangerous high-speed chase.
John Simkiss, of Water Reed Grove in Walsall, appeared at Mold Crown Court for sentencing on Friday morning.
The 40-year-old had previously admitted several offences, including; burglary, dangerous driving, theft of motor vehicle, drink driving, driving without insurance and driving while disqualified.
Dafydd Roberts, prosecuting, told the court that on May 7, an Audi A4 was parked on the forecourt of the Auto Services garage in Lower Denbigh Road, St Asaph.
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The owner posted the keys through the letterbox of the garage and left the scene.
Simkiss was in the area at the time and spotted the vehicle being dropped off, but returned some two-and-a-half hours later with a long-handled hammer and began striking the shuttering on the garage.
A short time later, he managed to get his hand through the letterbox and grab the keys, before stealing the Audi and driving off.
The incident was reported by a member of the public who saw the theft.
Later that day, the Audi was spotted near Morrisons in Denbigh and was subsequently located on the A525 between Denbigh and Trefnant.
An officer pulled in front of the vehicle and drew his taser, instructing Simkiss to get out.
But he accelerated away, driving on the pavement to get around the police car.
What followed was a series of dangerous manoeuvers by Simkiss - overtaking a vehicle on the brow of a hill, travelling at around 60 miles per hour in a 30 zone and overtaking an unmarked police car which was trying to slow him down.
When he entered the village of Trefnant, he went straight through a set of red traffic lights at 70 miles per hour - the limit there being 30.
Judge Rhys Rowlands said it was "only by the greatest good fortune" someone hadn't been driving across the road through what would have been green lights for them.
"There would have been a side on collision," the Judge said.
"He could have killed them. This was an extraordinarily bad piece of driving."
On the outskirts of Trefnant, a police stinger was deployed and the vehicle came to a stop shortly after.
He was arrested and was found to be over the alcohol limit - with 57 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The limit is 35.
Mr Roberts said the defendant has 40 previous convictions for 108 offences; including thefts, drink and drug drives, 13 convictions for driving while banned and more.
He was also subject to a community order when he committed the May offences.
Kevin Jones, defending, told the court his client's actions with regards to the car theft had not represented "significant planning," adding it had been an "opportunistic moment."
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"He concedes the driving was poor," he said.
"He asks me to express his remorse to the court for his behaviour - he split very recently from his long term wife of 20 years or so and he was spending some time with his brother in Wales."
He added his client had been in custody for 109 days and had achieved 'enhanced' status in prison while undertaking courses.
The Judge told Simkiss: "It is testament to good police work that you were stopped without injury being caused to yourself or anyone else."
For the burglary, the defendant was jailed for six months, with consecutive 12 months imposed for the dangerous driving - making a total jail term of 18 months.
No separate penalty was imposed for the other offences, but Simkiss was banned from driving for 45 months and must take an extended retest before he can get behind the wheel again.
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