A motorist who led police on a high-speed chase through Brighton in a Lada has escaped jail.

Martin Card, 37, hit speeds of up to 70mph in a 30mph zone after a row with his girlfriend.

He was eventually caught when his car ploughed into railings and hit a family's Ford Escort coming in the opposite direction.

Card was freed on bail after the pursuit in November 1996 but went on the run. He was arrested again earlier this month at his new home in Devon.

Alex Cranbrook, prosecuting, told Lewes Crown Court yesterday that officers were called to his girlfriend's home after a row.

He said: "When they arrived, the defendant made off in a Lada. Some time after that, police vehicles saw the car travelling into Brighton.

"He touched speeds of 70mph in a 30mph limit. He kept up a very high speed when the chase was going on. Other people had to pull over to avoid him.

"At the junction of Warren Road and Elm Grove the car lost control and crashed partially with railings and into a Ford Escort travelling in the other direction."

None of those in the Escort were hurt in the accident, which happened while Card was on probation for car thefts and a burglary.

Prior to the offence he had also been arrested over four counts of handling stolen cars.

Card, now of Torquay, admitted dangerous driving, driving without insurance or a licence, handling stolen cars, breaching the probation order and failing to surrender to bail.

Pamela Rose, defending, said Card moved to Devon to start a new life and he was now much more settled.

She said: "It would be quite a tragedy if this man was to lose everything that he has managed to attain, having walked away from all those matters in the past."

Judge Simon Coltart said he was impressed with the way Card had turned his life around and gave him a two-year suspended jail sentence. He also banned him from driving for two years.

But the judge added that there were exceptional circumstances and told him: "It seems to me that you were going through an extremely bad patch in your life at that time.

"But you did not improve matters by driving in a thoroughly dangerous manner in November 1996, putting at risk the lives of a whole family."