A disqualified driver reached speeds of up to 140mph and drove at 60mph towards oncoming traffic during a high speed police chase.But today driving menace Glodean O'Connor, who showed "utter contempt" for other road users, is safely behind bars.

A disqualified driver reached speeds of up to 140mph and drove at 60mph towards oncoming traffic during a high speed police chase.

But today driving menace Glodean O'Connor, who showed "utter contempt" for other road users, is safely behind bars.

Judge John Devaux sentenced labourer O'Connor to 15 months in prison.

and banned him from the roads for three years.

He was told not to drive again until he had taken an extended retest.

Ipswich Crown Court yesterday heard that O'Connor was pursued from the town for 10 miles around the outskirts and was only caught when he crashed his white G Reg BMW.

O'Connor, of Nacton Crescent, Ipswich, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving at South East Suffolk Magistrates Court and was committed the Crown Court for sentencing.

The father of two also admitted four counts of driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.

The 24-year-old was banned from driving for 12 months in 1997, but because he had not taken a driving retest as ordered by magistrates, he was still classed as a disqualified driver when he was stopped by police on September 18 last year.

On that date police spotted O'Connor's BMW in London Road and signalled for the disqualified driver to stop, O'Connor carried on driving.

The police followed O'Connor as he reached speeds of 90 mph in a 40 mph zone along London Road and drove through a red light.

He then drove towards Felixstowe on the A14 at 100 mph and between the Orwell Bridge and Nacton in excess of 140 mph.

O'Connor, who worked as a labourer on a building site, then continued on the A12 towards Woodbridge and turned off towards Waldringfield.

Police noted O'Connor sped round tight bends and at times drove on the wrong side of the road in excess of 60 mph.

He finally lost control and crashed his car in a grassy area near Fishpond Road, Waldringfield, where he was arrested.

The court heard that there were no passengers in O'Connor's car and the chase had taken place in the early hours when the roads had been quiet.

Judge Devaux said: "It is clear from your record and the history of this case that you treat the orders of the court, police, other road users and potential road users with utter contempt.

"You repeatedly drove while disqualified and that was an aggravating feature of the dangerous driving."