A convicted drug dealer has been jailed for 16 months after he led police on a chase through residential streets in Bolton.

In July 2020 Justice Eza was given a chance to stay out of prison after he was convicted of dangerous driving during a police chase which ended in a crash. Cannabis worth £1,300 along with £1,032 cash and a stun gun were found on him.

He was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years.

But he has now been back in court after leading police on another chase through Bolton on August 15 last year.

Bob Sastry, prosecuting, told how police spotted a Kia XCeed on Snowden Street, Bolton, where a man was leaning into the passenger side of the vehicle.

Eza, who was driving, spotted the police car and sped off up Thomas Holden Street before finally crashing on Crescent Avenue, Heaton.

The Bolton News: Crescent AvenueCrescent Avenue

“The Kia collided with a parked vehicle on that road, causing that vehicle to shunt into a wall,” said Mr Sastry.

“The defendant go out of the driver’s seat and items fell to the floor, and the defendant ran into Spinning Meadows where he was detained.

The court heard that the items dropped by Eza have not yet been analysed by police.

Eza, aged 23, of Harvest Park, Bolton, pleaded guilty to driving whilst banned and without insurance and admitted breaching a suspended sentence.

Jonathan Turner, defending, stressed that, since his arrest Eza has stayed out of trouble and appealed to Recorder Nigel Gundy not to impose a custodial sentence and make it more difficult for him to find work.

But the judge told Eza that he has made very little progress on the suspended sentence he was already serving.

“I have read reports. It is clear that you were, frankly, just not engaging. There is still little progress,” Recorder Grundy told him.

Eza was jailed for 16 months and he was banned from driving for three years.