A drug dealer who got into a car with a young woman and her five-year-old child led police on a terrifying high-speed chase through north Carlisle during rush hour.

The city's crown court heard how 32-year-old Stephen Irwin reached speeds of more than 70mph on residential roads.

His dangerous driving - at times on the wrong side of the road - forced other motorists to swerve out of the way.

A cyclist was also forced to jump onto a grass verge on Houghton Road to avoid being hit. The police officers following him were so concerned for public safety that they abandoned the pursuit.

The Saab car Irwin as driving was later found abandoned in a field having crashed through a fence.

In the days after the chase, Irwin, of Raven Nook, Carlisle, booked into a Carlisle hotel with the woman who was in the car with him, and together they operated a lucrative drug dealing operation, the court heard.

Irwin admitted dangerous driving on February 1, as well as possessing cocaine with intent to supply.

In the dock with Irwin was Natasha Graham, 25, who was the young mother in the car at the time of the pursuit.

She admitted two counts of possessing cocaine with intent to supply - one of these while she was in the County Hotel with Irwin on February 6 and the other when she was arrested with 21-year-old Steven Kidd in Botchergate on December 29, 2017.

Graham and Kidd both live in Toronto Street, Currock, Carlisle, where police found evidence of their dealing - digital scales and a number of snap bags used by dealers for storing drugs.

In court, prosecutor Gerard Rogerson outlined how Irwin reached up to 86mph as he fled from police during rush-hour.

His route took him along Brampton Road, and Longlands Road, where he hit 73mph, before accelerating to 74mph on Houghtohn Road, swerving between slower moving traffic and forcing the cyclist to dive out of the way.

Police also videoed him as he turned right into oncoming traffic at the M6 Junction 44 roundabout to drive north along the A7 towards Longtown.

On that road, the police car following him recorded speeds of between 79mph and 86mph.

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In court, Judge Peter Davies was shown a series of video clips of Irwin's driving as he fled from police at about 5pm on February 1.

Describing the drugs offences committed jointly by Irwin and Graham, prosecutor Gerard Rogerson said that staff at County Hotel in Carlisle became suspicious after the pair booked two rooms, which then then began receiving a constant stream of visitors over the next few few days.

In one of the rooms, police found a 46.6gram rock of cocaine. It had a potential street value just below £5,000.

Police officers also seized cash from the two defendants - £1,313 from Irwin, and £230 from Graham.

Kidd was arrested on December 29 when police saw Graham dropping him off from her car in Collier Lane, Carlisle, off Botchergate.

When he was searched, police found he was carrying nine snap bags of cocaine, worth between £265 and £360. He pleaded guilty to supplying cocaine and possessing the class A drug with intent to supply.

He committed both offences in late December 2017.

Karen Tunnacliffe, for Irwin, said: "He is grateful nobody was killed or seriously injured."

He had worked hard in prison to address his issues and his family was in court to support him.

Hugh McKee for Graham said: "She was taking cocaine at the time of the second incident to block things out."

A mum of three, she had been asked to become a mentor for other prisoners while in custody, said the lawyer.

Neil Ronan, for Kidd, said he had started dealing cocaine to fund his own addiction.

The barrister added: "There is a glimmer of a positive future: he has tested negative [for drugs] at HMP Durham since mid January and has gone on many courses."

Judge Peter Davies said of Irwin's dangerous driving that he had taken a monumental risk.

"God only knows how a catastrophe was averted," said the judge."It was an appalling piece of driving from someone with two previous convictions for dangerous driving."

He jailed Irwin for seven and a half years and disqualified him from driving for 69 months, stipulating that he must take an extended retest before driving unaccompanied.

He jailed Graham for three years and nine months; and Kidd for three and a half years.