A dangerous driver from Hindley who "could easily have killed someone" left several bags of cocaine behind after trying to escape police.

Hafeez Oderinde, 28, had been driving a grey Mini along Manchester Road towards Wigan more than three years ago on July 7, 2020, when officers noticed him.

Bolton Crown Court heard how rather than stopping, he instead drove off “at speed".

Prosecutor Maxwell Cope said: “He was essentially going down a residential street at 50mph.”

Oderinde drove through a red light in a bid to make his escape and eventually abandoned his car and ran into Silverdale Avenue on foot.

Leigh Journal: The case was heard at Bolton Crown CourtThe case was heard at Bolton Crown Court (Image: Newsquest)

He jumped over a garden fence before he was eventually arrested, and police then discovered Oderinde, of Argyle Street in Hindley, had been driving with seven snap bags of cocaine in his car.

Mr Cope said that this was a “prolonged, persistent case of dangerous driving” but accepted there was no evidence of any property being damaged.

Brought before the magistrates court, Oderinde pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and possession of Class A drugs.

Emily Land, defending, said Oderinde deserved credit for his guilty plea and reminded the court of how much time had passed since that day in July 2020.

She said: “This is an offence that has been hanging over him just for 18 months bit actually the last three-and-a-half years.”

She added: “Since then he tells me he has changed from who he was.

Judge Abigail Hudson noted just how long ago the crimes had been committed but reminded Oderinde, who looked on from the dock, how serious the consequences could have been.

She said: “Anybody using the road that day would have been put in danger because of you, you could easily have hit someone, you could easily have killed someone.”

She added that Oderinde had fled from the car and at first had not been truthful about how much cocaine he had been carrying.

Judge Hudson also pointed out that he had not stayed out of trouble in the time since, referring to a drink driving offence committed in January.

She sentenced him to 12 months in prison, suspended for 12 months and ordered him to complete 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days with 100 hours of unpaid work.

Judge Hudson also ordered the defendant to complete a thinking skills programme and banned him from driving for 12 months.