A MOTORCYCLIST who led police on a 100mph chase across Sussex and narrowly missed crashing into cars and pedestrians has been jailed.

Gavin Collett evaded seven police cars, dog squads and two helicopters in the two-and-a-half hour chase between Worthing and Brighton in March and stopped to get a hair cut.

But he was handed a two year prison sentence yesterday.

The 32-year-old pleaded guilty to charges of dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and two counts of failing to stop after a crash on March 10.

He was also disqualified for driving for three years.

Collett, of Bramber Road, in Broadwater, was first spotted speeding on the A24 southbound between Broadbridge Heath and Findon shortly after 2.30pm and the National Police Air Service helicopter from Redhill was sent to monitor him.

He was seen riding through red lights without a helmet while pedestrians were crossing, mounted pavements, sped into the face of oncoming traffic and overtook vehicles with little room to do so.

He drove through the pedestrianised Montague Street in Worthing before heading at breakneck speed through Goring, Ferring, Durrington, and Shoreham via the A27. He rode through Hove and into Brighton before crashing for a second time at the Churchill Square car park barriers.

He discarded the bike and his leather jacket and fled on foot, getting his hair cut nearby. He eventually handed himself in to Hampshire Police three days later.

PC Ben Henwood, of the Sussex Police Road Policing Unit, who led the investigation, branded it the most "outrageous" example of dangerous driving ever seen in Sussex.

He said: "Collett's sentence is fully deserved. He showed a blatant disregard for anyone else's safety and it's a miracle no one else was hurt. It's unbelievable how he hasn't killed himself or anyone else."

During an exclusive interview with The Argus before handing himself in unemployed Collett told how he stepped into a barbers to avoid police when he realised he was being chased.

Collett, who had previously been living with friends in Crawley and Portslade since leaving jail last year, said he was handing himself in to protect his family, adding: "My dad has got a respectful job, I don’t want lots of police."

He said he was an example of how the system was failing, adding: "I was in the care system from eight to 18 and prison from 19 until now with only four years out. I’ve spent the last 11 of 14 years in prison and I have begged for proper psychiatric help."

Collett must remain on licence for at least 12 months on release from prison. The sentence takes into account time already spent in custody from his arrest on March 13.

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GAVIN Collett made the headlines last year for being issued restraining orders.

They were made against him by Sussex women he had met through online dating.

Speaking exclusively to The Argus in March before his arrest he claimed he had been failed by public services in getting his life on track and was sent to live in a hostel in Brighton when he was released from prison last year as he tried to work as a scaffolder in London.