A man who has been banned from driving since 1993 avoided going to prison despite leading police a merry dance through the streets of Bristol in his wife's car.
And when Wayne Atkinson was finally stopped by officers, he told them that he was "just popping down the shops", according to the Bristol Evening Post.
The 38-year-old cleaner hit speeds of up to 70mph in a 30mph zone, running through red lights, driving on the wrong side of the road and forcing another motorist to mount the kerb to get out of the way.
After being caught by a stinger device, Atkinson still managed to carry on at 30mph with punctured tyres - heading into oncoming traffic on a dual carriageway - before eventually grinding to a halt.
However, although Judge Carol Hagen branded his driving record - which includes seven previous disqualifications - as "appalling", Atkinson avoided going to jail.
He had previously admitted dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, and driving without insurance.
Hearing that the defendant suffered from a "lifetime addiction" to alcohol, Judge Hagen decided to give Atkinson a final chance to mend his ways. She handed out a one-year suspended prison sentence, imposed another two-year driving disqualification, a curfew order, and ordered him to go on an alcohol abuse course.
"This is the behaviour of an 18-year-old, not a 38-year-old," Judge Hagen said, but added that she was going to "take a chance".
"This is your last opportunity," she added.
