high-speed dangerous chase because he thought they were someone else, was this week fined more than $1,000.

Jan DeSilva, of Valley Road, Paget, pleaded guilty in Magistrates' Court to driving in a dangerous manner, obstructing Police, possessing offensive weapons in a public place and a separate incident of driving while impaired.

The court was told Police on patrol at Middle Road, Paget, around 2.30 a.m. on September 29 heard the screech of a car as it entered Middle Road from Ord Road.

DeSilva, who was the driver, was believed to be travelling at at least 60 kph, Insp. Peter Duffy, prosecuting, said.

As Police followed, DeSilva drove at about 75 kph on "narrow'' Valley Road, negotiating the corners on the wet road, Insp. Duffy said.

He continued to drive in such a manner on Harbour Road and was unable to stop at a stop sign, Insp. Duffy said.

DeSilva skidded across the road, striking a wall, before getting out of the car and jumping over a wall into the sea.

Insp. Duffy said Police noticed that DeSilva's breath smelled of alcohol, but he passed the alcoanalyser test.

During a search of DeSilva's vehicle that day, Police found an axe and a knife which he said he kept to protect himself from "attackers''.

DeSilva, who apologised for the offence, also admitted driving while impaired on South Road, Paget, on January 2.

After being stopped by Police for driving erratically, DeSilva was found to have 199 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.

In court, DeSilva explained that he had attended a bachelor's party and could not find a taxi.

"I made a stupid decision,'' he said. "I chose to ride my bike.'' But concerning the September 29 incident, DeSilva said he had been threatened at his job earlier that evening and Police knew about it.

He said he did not hear the Police car's siren or see its lights. "All I saw was high beams in my rearview mirror,'' DeSilva said. "I started accelerating on Ord Road to see if the person was following me.

"I was driving in that manner because I had been threatened that evening.

I've been followed and threatened at Ice Queen by people who followed me from work.'' DeSilva said he refused to be handcuffed by the Police because he injured his back from jumping over the wall.

"I spent seven days in the hospital due to a cracked vertebrate in my lower spine,'' he said. "When I left the Police station I had to hitch a ride to the hospital where I was questioned by an attendant as to why Police did not escort me in.'' Senior Magistrate the Wor. Will Francis fined DeSilva $500 and took him off the road for a year for dangerous driving. He fined him $150 for the obstruction charge, $100 for possessing offensive weapons, and $400 for driving while impaired on January 2.

DeSilva was also disqualified from driving all motor vehicles for a year for the latter offence.