A DANGEROUS driver who drove the wrong way down a dual carriageway during a high speed police chase has been jailed.

Scott Fewtrell accelerated to more than 100mph and drove the wrong way down the A449 dual carriageway near Worcester, forcing other motorists to take evasive action and leaving some fearing for their lives.

The 25-year-old, who had two passengers with him, travelled the wrong way around several roundabouts and traffic islands, drove the wrong side of keep left bollards and ran a grandmother off the road as he 'bullied' his way past terrified motorists. The woman's two grandchildren were in the car when Fewtrell forced her car off the road.

In a victim personal statement she said: “I feel this incident could have caused death."

Judge Nicolas Cartwright told Fewtrell that it was one of the worst examples of dangerous driving he had ever seen. It became so dangerous that a trained pursuit officer, PC Karl Lacey, had to call off the chase on Tuesday, October 24 last year.

The incident was captured on two dash cam videos played to the court. One shows a white van, overtaking another vehicle, the driver forced to pull sharply into the inside lane to avoid a head on crash with Fewtrell.

The other shows Fewtrell of Chedworth Drive, Warndon, Worcester, weaving in and out of lanes on the A449 on the approach to the Claines roundabout, knocking over traffic cones as the other driver calls Fewtrell an 'idiot'.

Fewtrell had already admitted dangerous driving, driving without insurance, driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence and making off without payment when he appeared at Worcester Crown Court on Monday.

Simon Cooper, prosecuting, said police had been searching for the Punto in connection with an incident the previous day although there was no suggestion Fewtrell had been involved in this.

The Fiat Punto, driven on false plates, had made off from services at Broomhall, near Worcester. Fewtrell had filled up but failed to pay for the fuel.

PC Karl Lacey followed Fewtrell in his unmarked car on the B4636 towards Crowle at around 12.40pm after the Punto was first spotted by officers on push bikes.

Fewtrell sped through Tibberton at 60mph, twice the speed limit of 30mph. PC Lacey described Fewtrell as overtaking and ‘bullying’ other drivers.

He entered Tagwell Road in Droitwich, driving at 50mph in a 30mph, forcing other drivers to take evasive action. The officer said it had become a dangerous pursuit. He was concerned because it was half-term and there could be children playing in the road.

Fewtrell continued into the B4090, forcing his way through traffic on the wrong side of the road, into Saltway and from there onto Ombersley Way and Westwood Way where the officer described the defendant as ‘brake checking’ him twice as they headed towards the A38.

The officer said: “At this stage I abandoned the pursuit due to its dangerous nature.”

The officer had never seen driving this dangerous since he became pursuit trained in 2005.

On the A449 Fewtrell drove across a traffic island, finally abandoning the car in Hawthorn Drive in Worcester at 12.55pm and hiding in a nearby shed.

Judith Kenney, defending, asked the judge to suspend any prison sentence, arguing there was ‘a realistic prospect of rehabilitation’, that Fewtrell was not heavily convicted and could be ‘a positive success story’.

She said: “Immediate custody would result in significant harmful impact on others.” She asked he be given maximum credit for his early guilty plea.

Miss Kenney said Fewtrell had panicked and that his arrest had been peaceful.

Judge Cartwright said: “One shudders to think what would have happened had there been a head on collision between your vehicle and another innocent driver travelling the other way.

"It is hard to imagine a worse case of dangerous driving. There are further aggravating features. You had two others in the vehicle with you, putting their lives as well as your own at risk. You weren't insured. You haven't even passed your driving test."

Judge Cartwright jailed him for 16 months and banned him from driving for three years. Fewtrell must also complete an extended driving retest. There will be no separate penalties for no insurance and driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.

A concurrent sentence of a week in custody was imposed for making off without payment. The judge made a deprivation order in relation to the Punto.