A CROWN Court judge is to sentence a banned Carlisle motorist who drove at "grossly excessive speeds."

Henry King, 34, committed the offence on May 5 while illegally driving a Saab car along Carlisle's Dalston Road, Shaddongate, and then on the A595 and A596, while being pursued by police, the city's Rickergate court heard.

The defendant, of Hillary Grove, Carlisle, admitted dangerous and disqualified driving. A prosecutor in court withdrew a further allegation that King had failed to stop when required to by a police officer.

Prosecutor Peter Kelly said that the speeds reached by the defendant had been “grossly excessive”.

This included him driving at almost 80mph on Dalston Road in Carlisle, which is a heavily residential area of the city with a 30mph limit. In an area where the speed limit is 40mph, officers recorded King’s speed as 104mph.

Even this was exceeded, with King driving at one stage at 114mph.

“This was a prolonged, persistent and deliberate course of bad driving which included excessive speed,” said the prosecutor, suggesting that the offending fell into the highest category of seriousness for the offences.

It was an aggravating feature that a disqualification was in force at the time the defendant drove so dangerously. Mr Kelly said all of these factors meant that the case would be more appropriately dealt with at Carlisle Crown Court.

Defence lawyer Chris Toms said he accepted that this was the appropriate way to deal with the case.

Magistrates ordered a background pre-sentence report and set the day of sentence at Carlisle Crown Court as June 25. In the meantime, they imposed an interim driving ban.  The defendant was granted bail until his next court appearance.