chase was yesterday fined $850 and taken off the road until 1995.

Howard Amory, of Trackside Lane, pleaded guilty in Magistrates' Court to driving while disqualified and driving in a dangerous manner.

Police, monitoring heavy traffic as people returned from parties around 4 a.m.

on April 19, saw a car travelling west in "excess of 75 kph,'' Insp. Peter Duffy, prosecuting, said.

Although Police indicated to Amory to stop, the car accelerated and turned sharply into Parsons Road and then swung to its right to avoid cars parked near Prospect Primary, Insp. Duffy said.

People nearby had to run for cover to avoid being hit, he added.

Insp. Duffy said Amory then turned onto Frog Lane, where traffic was backed up, crossed the centre line and almost lost control of the car.

When first stopped Amory said he did not see the Police.

Insp. Duffy said Amory's breath smelled of alcohol and an alco-analyser test, which he passed, showed he had 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.

Amory, who was already off the road until September 12 for riding an auxiliary cycle while disqualified, said he was driving because "other persons in the car were not fit to drive.'' He said he did not immediately stop for Police because he thought they were going after the car in front of him -- "so I turned off.'' For the dangerous driving charge, Senior Magistrate the Wor. Will Francis fined Amory $500 and banned him from driving all motor vehicles for three years.

He fined Amory $350 and disqualified him for 18 months for driving while disqualified. The disqualification periods are to run concurrently.

Mr. Francis also imposed a three-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.