A man who reached speeds of up to 113mph while being chased by police has avoided a jail sentence.

Connor Kennedy, 30, was spotted by officers speeding around a roundabout and weaving between lanes near Gannow Lane in Burnley on September 5 2020. 

Noticing his speed, the officers began to follow him before he entered the M65 and then raced off from them in his red Ford Fiesta.

Burnley Crown Court heard how police accelerated to 113mph but were unable to gain on him and called for assistance.

Prosecuting, Mark Stephenson said: "The defendant was seen undertaking and overtaking vehicles and at one point drove onto the hard shoulder to undertake someone.

"He then took to the slip road where police had set up a stinger and he was stopped.

"He was the sole occupier of the vehicle and when they went to speak with him, police noticed his eyes were blood shot and could smell cannabis.

"They then found cannabis in his car, tested him and found his drug swipe to be positive.

"The defendant was arrested for dangerous driving and further arrested for drug driving. 

"He has six convictions for eight offences, the last offence committed in 2009, and a speeding offence in 2018 for which his licence was endorsed with six points."

Defending Kennedy, Ellen Shaw said her client had never been to custody before, or to the crown court, and was a hard working man with a daughter who he supported financially.

She said: "The matters have weighed heavily on his mind since that day, and his father is here to support him in court. 

"Before he made this very dangerous and silly decision he was in a much better position. He knows this was of his own making and has had a significant fall and will have to work hard to get his life back to where it was."

Recorder Nicholas Clarke said: "For the most part you have led a hard working life. But you chose to drive your Ford Fiesta at excessive speeds on the M65 and did this under the influence of cannabis.

"Fortunately there was no-one injured in this case."

Kennedy, of Queen Street in Barrowford, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and driving while under the influence of cannabis and was handed a 12 month community order, a four month electronic curfew between the hours of 8pm and 6am and ordered to pay £1,200 in court costs as well as a victim surcharge.

He was also disqualified from driving for two years.

No separate penalty was given for the cannabis offence.