Motorist jailed for speeding from police at up to 110mph in stolen Mercedes near Whitby

Carlus Rainbow, 27, was driving the £40,000 Mercedes A Class which had just been stolen in a burglary at a medical technician’s home in Castleton when police spotted the fleeing vehicle near Whitby.

When the blue lights flashed, Rainbow accelerated “harshly” and sped along country roads with “blatant disregard” for other road users, said prosecutor Mollie Briggs.

Rainbow was somewhere over three times the 30mph speed limit – the dial teetering on 110mph – as it sped through a village onto a country lane, shot through red lights and overtook vehicles.

He sped up to 112mph before mounting a kerb and driving down an alleyway.

The vehicle then “jumped in the air” over a crest before coming to a stop.

Three men got out of the Mercedes including Rainbow who clambered out of the driver’s door.

He made a run for it but was arrested following a short foot chase.

Ms Briggs said the car chase lasted little over three minutes.

Rainbow was brought in for questioning but refused to answer police questions.

He was charged with several offences but ultimately admitted two counts of dangerous driving and handling stolen goods, namely the Mercedes, as well as driving while disqualified and without insurance.

He was not charged with the burglary in which the vehicle was stolen.

He appeared for sentence on January 17 via video link after being remanded in custody.

Ms Briggs said the burglary victim, who was named in court, was an NHS radiographer who was at home in Castleton when his Mercedes was stolen at about 11.30pm on July 27 last year.

“He recalls hearing a car revving, realising it was the sound of his own vehicle, a Mercedes A-Class Hybrid worth about £40,000,” she added.

He went outside to find two men inside the Mercedes and driving off towards the main road.

He also found footprints on his window sill.

He called police who spotted the high-performance car driving near Whitby just after midnight.

Rainbow, of Gorsefields Court, Eston, had 11 previous convictions for 30 offences including thefts and other acquisitive crimes.

His most recent conviction was for driving while disqualified, dangerous driving and driving without insurance which resulted in a 52-month motoring ban in November 2020.

Defence barrister Samuel Ponniah said that Rainbow went off the rails after the relationship with his partner ended, although they had since been reconciled.

He turned to heroin and his life went on a “dangerous, downward spiral”.

Judge Sean Morris told Rainbow he was lucky not to have been charged with burglary and described his driving as “horrendous”.

“It was appalling,” he added.

“You could have killed someone; you could have killed a policeman.”

Rainbow was jailed for two years and seven months and disqualified from driving for three years.