A COCAINE-FUELLED driver Christopher Sherwood who led police on an 'absolutely terrifying' high speed chase along snowbound roads has been jailed for 15 months.

Police pursued the Mitcheldean 23-year-old at speeds up to 112mph as he raced from Gloucester into the Forest of Dean on a snowy Saturday in February.

http://www.youtube.com/v/NVOCTqPxSkY?fs=1&hl=en_GB&rel=0&quot">http://www.youtube.com/v/NVOCTqPxSkY?fs=1&hl=en_GB&rel=0">http://www.youtube.com/v/NVOCTqPxSkY?fs=1&hl=en_GB&rel=0&quot">http://www.youtube.com/v/NVOCTqPxSkY?fs=1&hl=en_GB&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295">

The 15-mile pursuit ended when he crashed, injuring himself and one of his two passengers near Cinderford's Heywood School, Gloucester Crown Court was told.

At the time of the chase, Sherwood was subject to a suspended jail term which had been imposed just a month earlier.

Jailing Sherwood and banning him from driving for two years, Judge William Hart told him: "Your driving was really as dangerous a manner as one could contemplate.

"You drove for a sustained period on all sorts of roads, residential and open, at very high speeds – sometimes significantly over 100mph – and you put at risk other road users, both pedestrians and motorists.

"Eventually you crashed, injuring yourself and a passenger.

"Apart from the fact that no one was killed it is about as bad a piece of dangerous driving as one could sensibly imagine. It is exacerbated by the fact that you had taken crack cocaine."

Sherwood, of Park Road, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving, driving while unfit through drugs, having no insurance and having no licence. The offences happened on February 20.

Prosecutor Derek Ryder said the chase began in Black Dog Way, Gloucester, when, in a line of stationary traffic, a police officer got out of a patrol car and walked up to the Vectra Sherwood was driving.

He asked Sherwood to pull over so he could talk to him – but as the officer returned to his car Sherwood shot off at speed.

Judge Hart watched CCTV taken from two patrol cars which chased the Vectra from Gloucester westbound along the Over Causeway and the A40 then through the Forest of Dean, passing through Littledean, before crashing on snow covered Causeway Road.

For most of the journey the Vectra could not even be seen from the patrol car because it was so far ahead – even though police reached a speed of 112mph trying to catch up with him.

Judge Hart described the video as 'chilling' and Sherwood's driving as 'absolutely terrifying.'

When the car crashed Sherwood and his two passengers jumped out and tried to get away but were caught by police.

Mr Ryder said the car belonged to Sherwood's partner but he did not have her permission to use it that day. At the time of the offences he was a month into a 10-week suspended jail term for offences of theft and having a bladed article.

Steve Young, defending, said Sherwood decided to go out in the car when his partner was at work because a friend had contacted him and asked for a lift. His passenger then gave him crack cocaine while he was driving and he foolishly accepted, said Mr Young.

He said: "He made the ridiculous decision to drive. He made a dreadful mistake and he now acknowledges that."