A DRUG dealer who was giving a lift to a young mum and her five year old child led police on a terrifying high-speed chase through Carlisle at rush-hour.

Already a banned driver, 32-year-old Stephen Irwin reached speeds of more than 70mph as he sped along residential streets in north Carlisle, weaving in and out of traffic and narrowly avoiding other cars.

After watching a video of the hair-raising police pursuit, Carlisle Crown Court judge Peter Davies said: “God only knows how a catastrophe was averted.”

Irwin, from Raven Nook, Carlisle, admitted dangerous driving on February 1 and possessing cocaine with intent to supply.

Gerard Rogerson, prosecuting, said police were tipped off that Irwin had illegally driven to the Gosling Inn on Scotland Road, in north Carlisle.

Police officers lay in wait nearby, and at about 5pm spotted Irwin returning to the car with 25-year-old Natasha Graham and her five-year-old child. He set off along Scotland Road, towards Carlisle city centre.

Following him, the officers activated their car’s blue lights and siren, but Irwin sped away, briefly mounting the pavement before accelerating along Brampton Road.

On Longlands Road, he reached 73mph, before turning back on to Brampton Road and then Houghton Road, achieving 74mpn as he swerved between slower moving traffic and forced a cyclist to dive out of the way.

He drove at 60mph through the village, then on to the A689, driving much of the route on the wrong wide side of the road, before turning right into oncoming traffic at the M6 Junction 44 roundabout.

On the A7 heading towards Longtown, he drove at between 79mph and 86mph.

Mr Rogerson said: “He took a sharp right turn towards Blackford, as a cyclist was coming in the opposite direction. The cyclist went on to the verge.

“At this point, police determined that it was simply too dangerous to continue [with the pursuit]. The Saab was found crashed in the middle of a field. It had crashed through a fence and there was significant damage to the vehicle.

“One of the airbags had deployed - the passenger air bag. There was blood found on that airbag. It was Natasha Graham’s blood.”

In the days after the chase, Irwin and Graham laid low, booking themselves into the County Hotel in Carlisle. The pair hired two rooms, and over a period of days they used these as a base for dealing cocaine, the court heard.

Graham, 25, from Toronto Street, Carlisle, admitted two counts of possessing cocaine with intent to supply - one of these while she staying in the hotel with Irwin.

Describing that offence, involving both Irwin and Graham, Mr Rogerson said staff at the hotel became suspicious because over two or three days the rooms the defendants had hired were getting a steady stream of visitors - almost certainly people buying drugs.

Police searched the rooms, finding a “golf ball sized” rock of cocaine in one, weighing 46.6 grams, and with a street value was just under £5,000. Police officers also seized cash from the two defendants - £1,313 from Irwin, and £230 from Graham.

Karen Tunnacliffe, for Irwin, said of his driving offence: “He’s grateful nobody was killed or seriously injured.”

He had worked hard in prison to address his issues and his family was in court to support him.

Hugh McKee for Graham said: “She was taking cocaine at the time of the second incident to block things out.” He said she had done what she could to help herself in prison, and had been asked to mentor other prisoners.

Judge Peter Davies told Irwin that with his dangerous driving that day had taken a monumental risk.

“It was an appalling piece of driving from someone with two previous convictions for dangerous driving,” said the judge, noting that the defendant had previous convictions for offering to supply cocaine.

He jailed Irwin for seven and a half years and disqualified him from driving for 69 months, stipulating that he must take an extended retest before driving unaccompanied. He jailed Graham for three years and nine months.