A 22-year-old man with a string of convictions for driving while disqualified will be sentenced at the Court of General Gaol Delivery on Friday.

Thomas Daniel Richards, of Ballabrooie, Sulby, pleaded guilty before magistrates on Tuesday to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, failing to stop for police and driving without insurance.

Richards was estimated by one of his passengers to have driven through Ramsey at between 80mph and 100mph with police in pursuit.

The court heard that he was already due to be sentenced in the higher court on Friday for a previous offence of driving while disqualified.

Richards is also due to have three suspended sentence supervision orders revoked and be re-sentenced in respect of those on the same day.

Prosecuting advocate Roger Kane told the court that Richards’ most recent offences were committed on October 18.

A woman who was the front seat passenger in Richards’ Audi A3 said that they were driving over the Mountain Road from Douglas to Ramsey at around 2.30am with two other people in the back of the car.

She said she was ’terrified’ by Richards’ driving and at one point she grabbed the wheel and turned it to stop him going off the road.

Another driver who saw the Audi called 999, reporting that it was brushing hedges and on the wrong side of the road at times.

Police waited at Barrule Park in Ramsey and then saw the Audi coming at speed. It hit a kerb and then nearly hit some parked vehicles which prompted police to turn on their siren and lights and give chase.

Richards made no attempt to stop and one of his passengers later estimated that he was driving at between 80mph and 100mph as they travelled through Parliament Square and ignored a red light.

The woman said that Richards then drove them to Jurby airfield where they got out and got into another vehicle. He was arrested the following day.

Mr Kane submitted that the offences were too serious for summary court and pointed out that Richards was already on bail awaiting sentencing on Friday for the other driving while disqualified offence and had numerous similar convictions.

Defence advocate Matthew Wilshaw said that Deemster Cook, who is due to sentence Richards, had indicated that, if he pleaded guilty to the new offences, he would sentence them all together on Friday.

No application was made for bail and Richards will be sentenced at the Court of General Gaol on Friday (October 30).