A POLICE chase at speeds of up to 100mph ended when the driver crashed into a 20mph sign in a moment of “poetic justice”, a court heard.

Alan Michael Donegan, 30, was described by the prosecution as somebody who “used his right foot rather than his brain” and was jailed for six months.

The pursuit happened after he was spotted by officers going 50mph in a 30mph zone in Bemerton Heath in the early hours of April 14. However, instead of pulling over he went on a high-speed 20-minute chase along Devizes Road and the A303 before finally crashing in Larkhill.

Salisbury Crown Court heard Donegan was driving a red Seat Ibiza belonging to his friend’s mum despite being banned from driving in January.

His friend was drunk and claims not to have known that Donegan did not have a driving licence.

Attempting to evade the police he went over speed bumps at 50mph, round Longbarrow roundabout the wrong way, and hit speeds of up to 100mph.

After turning off the A303 at Countess Roundabout, Donegan sped into Larkhill along Fargo Road before finally crashing into the 20mph sign on Willoughby Road.

When asked by police, he initially claimed he had not been driving dangerously, but had instead been trying to find a safe place to pull over. Yet he did plead plead guilty at the earliest opportunity.

Defending, Nick Cotter admitted his client had an “appalling record” with a long history of driving offences including driving while drunk, driving without a licence and aggravated vehicle taking.

He said he earned around £45,000 a year as a builder and had a nine-year-old daughter but admitted Donegan was “realistic” and knew he was in a “precarious position”.

In sentencing him to six months in prison Judge Richard Parkes told Donegan he could have caused injuries to “innocent motorists”.

“It was a very precarious thing to do, even at 1am there is always traffic on the A303,” he said.

“The difficulty is that you have such a long record of driving while disqualified and a whole series of repeated motoring offences.

“It is very curious indeed finding a man like you [earning £45,000 a year] committing these kind of offences.”

Donegan, of St Mary’s Road, Langley, was also banned from driving for 30 months.