Motorist caused chaos by driving Land Rover Discovery head-on into traffic on Leeds inner ring road

Police were already on the look out for the 2005 Land Rover Discovery when the lone bike officer spotted him at around 8.15pm on April 12 near the old Evening Post office on Wellington Street.

The biker followed him with the Land Rover heading towards Armley gyratory before turning back towards the city centre, prosecutor Bashir Ahmed told Leeds Crown Court.

He took the slip road off to Kirkstall Road then onto Bridge Street, before returning to the inner ring road against the flow of traffic as the biker continued the pursuit.

Sampler then cut across the central reservation and back towards the city centre. He and two passengers eventually abandoned the vehicle while it was still moving with it rolling into a parked car.

After a short foot chase, he was detained and a bag of cocaine was found on him.

During his interview he accepted he was in the vehicle but was not driving. The 31-year-old later admitted dangerous driving, driving while banned, without insurance and possession of Class A drugs.

Sampler, of St Hilda’s Place, Cross Green, has more than 20 previous convictions, including driving while banned and driving while being over the drug-drive limit.

He appeared in court via video link from HMP Hull where he was being held on remand.

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Mitigating, Philip Morris said: “He saw sense when it came to his pleas, when he saw the CCTV footage. His best mitigation are his guilty pleas.

“He recognised evidentially, that the case against him was strong. His poison is motor vehicles. The vast majority [of convictions] emanate from his uncanny ability to commit offences while behind the wheel, not that it does him much assistance.”

She said he was a carer for his mother who has COPD. He said he also has aspirations to go into business with a friend and had jobs before, including at Morrisons.

He added: “He wishes through me to express remorse for the way he drove. He knew he was being followed and bitterly regrets and recognises the risk his driving was causing. It’s a wake-up call to him.”

Judge Tahir Khan KC jailed him for 18 months and handed him a 21-month driving ban, telling him he must take an extended driving test to get his licence back.