A man has been jailed for a cocaine-fuelled police chase through South London which lasted 40 minutes. 

Michael Walker, of Thornsbeach Road in Catford, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving after speeding through the back streets of Lewisham and Southwark at 50mph. 

The 32-year-old was already disqualified from driving when police spotted him in Lewisham in a Ford Fiesta with false plates at around 9pm on February 10.  

He refused to pull over and instead sped through multiple traffic lights with police in pursuit, Inner London Crown Court was told. 

This began a police chase which lasted for 40 minutes during which Walker drove on the wrong side of the road, went the wrong way round multiple roundabouts and at one point reversed towards police cars. 

Police couldn’t keep up with Walker as he hit 50mph on 20mph residential streets so a police helicopter had to be deployed, Prosecutor Andrew Pellington said. 

The chase eventually came to an end when Walker abandoned the car in Rotherhithe Tunnel. 

Judge Jane Rowley said: “You abandoned the car and ran up a staircase where you ended up at dead end and were arrested.” 

Sophie Smith, defence counsel for Walker, said he had struggled for money and with his mental health after being released from prison. 

She said: “With that difficulty he relapsed into cocaine use. Coming to attention of police, panic started. He wasn’t making any rational decision and fight or flight started.” 

Ms Smith added that Walker had expressed his regret at letting himself and his family down, adding that he was relieved that nobody was harmed in the chase. 

Sentencing Walker to 18 months in prison, Judge Rowley told Walker that he had endangered lives and that evasive manoeuvres by other road users had prevented a crash. 

Walker, who had already been disqualified from driving twice in the last three years, was handed an extended disqualification for 45 months.