A DANGEROUS driver was arrested after a police dog handler was called out to track him down following a high-speed chase.

Joshua Williams, 30, was found hiding in a forest after running off when he crashed his MG 4x4 into a hedge in Newport.

Police spotted the uninsured driver at around 2.20pm on Monday, May 23, Cardiff Crown Court was told.

Gareth James, prosecuting, said: “An officer pulled up behind the defendant and when he saw him, the defendant sped away.

“The officer illuminated the lights on the police vehicle in an effort to get him to stop.

“He didn’t stop and there was a prolonged chase with the police pursuing the defendant until eventually he, it appears, lost control of his vehicle and went into a hedge and then escaped across a field.

“That necessitated a police dog handler coming out to track the defendant and he was arrested.”

During the chase, he drove at speeds of up to 56mph in a 30mph zone and went the wrong way around a mini roundabout.

Williams, of Elan Close, Bettws, Newport, admitted dangerous driving, driving without a licence, driving without insurance and possession of Valium, a class C drug.

The defendant had a relevant previous conviction for aggravated vehicle taking and failing to provide a specimen from 2015 when he got a suspended jail sentence.

Darren Bishop, representing Williams, said: “He is a troubled young man who experienced a difficult childhood.”

His lawyer added how his client had spent some time homeless but was now an expectant father looking forward to the birth of his child.

The judge, Recorder Bruce Gardiner, told Williams: “You ran off into a forest before you were apprehended.

“It was very fortunate that no one was seriously injured as a result of the dangerous manner of your driving.

“You have a substantial list of previous convictions.

“I consider it isn’t appropriate to suspend your sentence given your offending history and the fact you have received suspended prison sentences in the past.”

Williams was jailed for six months.

He was banned from driving for 15 months and ordered to pass an extended retest before he can drive again.

The defendant will also have to pay a surcharge following his release from prison.