A MAN has been spared an immediate jail sentence after fleeing from police on a moped. 

Bradford Crown Court heard Stephen Moore, 25, panicked as the vehicle was uninsured. 

The court heard the episode of dangerous driving unfolded on March 5 last year, when a police officer on duty in a marked police car spotted the moped travelling on Leeds Road, towards Killinghall Road. 

As it had two occupants, the officer followed it and illuminated the car's blue lights to signal for it to pull over. 

When Moore, who was riding the moped, failed to do so a police pursuit began in the direction of Thornbury and Leeds. 

Tom Jackson, prosecuting, told the court that Moore broke the speed limit on various roads, went on the wrong side of the road, including on roundabouts, and ran a number of red lights, narrowly missing other vehicles. 

One car had to swerve and emergency brake. 

The pursuit, aided by the police helicopter, lasted around eight minutes and the moped stopped when it reached a dead end. 

Moore and his passenger abandoned the vehicle, but were eventually detained and Moore was identified as its rider. 

Mr Jackson said Moore, of Trentham Grove, Beeston, Leeds, had accepted the offence and fled as he did not have insurance and panicked.

He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and driving without insurance. The court heard he had 26 convictions for 52 previous offences, but none driving related. 

Paul Canfield, for Moore, accepted the father-of-four had driven in an aggressive manner, but said he admitted the offences at the roadside.

He said: "He is aware of what happens if he offends on a suspended sentence order. The last period of imprisonment was the activation of a previous breach of a suspended sentence order.

"He knows what will happen if he offends, if your honour does acquiesce to the suggestion put by probation that a suspended sentence would punish him and also allow him to develop as a person."

There was concern over the impact of an immediate jail sentence on Moore's young child who lives with him. 

The judge, Recorder Ashley Serr, said it had been a prolonged period of dangerous driving, but he was prepared to suspend the eight-month sentence for 24 months.

He will be disqualified from driving for 18 months, must carry out 20 rehabilitation activity days and abide by a nine-month electronically monitored curfew between the hours of 9pm and 6am. 

"Try and take this opportunity I have given you Mr Moore," the judge told him.