A motoring ?menace? triggered a dangerous 80 kph-plus Police chase that criss-crossed Paget.

Kyle Ingham narrowly avoided colliding with two patrol cars during the high-speed pursuit, a court heard yesterday.

The 21-year-old sent stunned drivers swerving for cover as he overtook on corners, veered over to the wrong side of the road and jumped a red light.

He appeared in Magistrates? Court yesterday for dangerous driving ? and is today starting a one-year road ban.

The chase, which ended with a crash at the junction of Lovers Lane and South Road, started when officers pulled out of a Harbour Road house on July 27.

They spotted the defendant?s vehicle heading east at what Senior Crown counsel Paula Tyndale described as a ?high rate of speed?.

She said that as Ingham raced past the Police car he missed the front of the patrol vehicle by a matter of inches.

Ms Tyndale said the chase continued with the defendant seen travelling fast towards two rental bikes that were approaching a bend. He later overtook them on a left-hand bend, causing one of the cyclists to narrowly miss a roadside wall.

With officers still in pursuit, Ingham turned right onto Keith Hall Road towards Middle Road. When Police caught up with him with their vehicle sirens blaring, the court heard the defendant sped away.

Ms Tyndale said Ingham then overtook vehicles, causing them to take evasive action, before he missed another marked Police car, this time on the junction of Manse Road.

Ingham later jumped a red light at the junction of Middle Road and South Road and swerved erratically near Paget Plaza.

But the pursuit came to a grinding halt near the front of Paget Dry Cleaners when the defendant turned left into Lovers Lane ? and hit the front of a car travelling in the other direction.

Ingham was arrested at the scene. When asked why he did not stop for Police, Ms Tyndale said he ?just shrugged?.

The court heard that speeds of 80 kph-plus were notched up during the chase.

Ingham, of Ingham Vale Road, Pembroke, pleaded guilty yesterday to dangerous driving, failing to stop and driving an unlicensed car. He apologised in court for his behaviour.

But Senior Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo told the defendant he needed to say sorry to the public for ?driving like a menace?.

He banned Ingham and fined him a total of $600.