A DEESIDE man has been jailed for a year after 'using his car as a weapon' during a 'prolonged course' of dangerous driving.

Adam Challoner, 31, of East Green in Sealand had previously pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving without a licence and driving without insurance at Mold Magistrates Court on August 4.

He appeared at Mold Crown Court on Thursday, September 1 for sentencing and was not represented by a solicitor.

Karl Scholz, prosecuting, told the court how at around 1am on July 9, a police constable in an unmarked car had spotted a silver Volkswagen Golf - driven by Challenor - heading for Chester.

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The vehicle's occupants were said to have been wanted for failing to stop at the scene of a crash and so the officer, PC Reid, followed behind.

After this, the car proceeded towards the A548 at Sealand Road in Deeside before heading on to Manor Road.

The first aspect of the dangerous driving charge took place on the B5441 on Welsh Road, Garden City, when Challenor was driving at speeds of 50mph in a 30mph semi-residential area.

He then narrowly missed another vehicle while on the A494 and heading back to Sealand Road.

Challoner then 'straddled' both lanes of the carriageway as he made his way back around a roundabout towards Deeside, again straddling both sides of the carriageway near the old Leprechaun pub.

He then 'appeared to have stalled' before heading towards Foxes Lane, where another police vehicle was called into action in an attempt to stop his driving spree.

That vehicle then became the subject of Challoner's dangerous driving as he 'rammed' it in a move Judge Niclas Parry referred to as Challoner 'using his car as a weapon'. 

The police vehicle then rammed Challoner back as the offending came to an end on Welsh Road when the Volkswagen Golf careered off the road and into a nearby garden.

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PIC: Mold Crown Court.

The court heard that PC Reid took the view that Challoner had been drinking and 'stank of alcohol'.

Upon being arrested, the defendant admitted that his driving had been dangerous.

Sentencing Challoner, Judge Parry said the defendant had 'had a few beers and fell to the temptation to drive' on the night in question.

He added that Challoner 'had embarked on a prolonged case of dangerous driving' and that the defendant was 'clearly a danger' when he got 'behind a wheel'.

Challoner was sentenced to 12 months in prison and handed a driving ban of two years and six months for the dangerous driving offence alone.

He faced no separate penalties for the driving without a licence and driving without insurance charges.

The failing to stop charge was withdrawn before Challoner appeared at court and a deprivation order was made for the Volkswagen Golf used during the offences.