Image copyright North Wales Police

A banned driver who drove at 130mph while a seven-year-old boy was in the car has been jailed for two-and-a-half-years.

Lucas Needham, 26, of Linden Avenue, Connah's Quay, Flintshire, failed to stop for police on 20 May while driving on the A55 in north Wales.

The court heard Needham was serving a suspended sentence at the time.

Judge Niclas Parry said: "The time really has come for the public to be given a rest from you."

He told Mold Crown Court: "It's difficult to imagine behaviour far more irresponsible than shown by you."

Needham previously pleaded guilty to driving dangerously, driving while disqualified and uninsured and resisting arrest.

He also admitted another count of dangerous driving, in relation to an incident four months earlier when he drove at about 100mph (160 km/h) and rammed into another car.

Judge Parry said Needham "realised police had clocked him" before embarking on a "shocking" piece of driving.

'Shameful'

Needham reached speeds of 130mph (209km/h) in a 70mph area and at one stage switched off his lights while it was dark.

"As if that was not serious enough, upon stopping, you violently resisted police who tried to arrest you," Judge Parry said.

Defending barrister Andrew Green said his client was under no illusion that his sentence had to be custody and the only question was how long it should be.

He told the court he was sorry for what he had done and said he had been dealing with issues including anxiety, depression and ADHD.

"He made the wrong choices," Mr Green said.

Mr Parry said it was "shameful you had such disregard for his [the boy's] well-being".

Needham crashed into a BMW, leaving its driver injured, before fleeing police until he was eventually stopped near Holywell.

The court heard he had a string of previous convictions covering 62 offences, many of them driving-related.

He will also be banned from driving for three years from his release date.