A Warwick man has been branded “a motoring menace” after pleading guilty to a raft of offences he racked up during a police chase in Southampton.

Damonte DaCosta, 39, appeared before Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo this morning following the chase on March 4.

DaCosta admitted to driving in a dangerous manner; failure to stop for police; failure to give his name; having no driver’s licence; driving an unlicensed vehicle; driving with no insurance; and refusing to give a breath sample.

He pleaded not guilty to one count of possessing a weapon — a case that will be heard in Magistrate’s Court on April 24.

The court heard how duty officers spotted DaCosta driving a black Scoopy motorcycle at high speed near a Southampton preschool. Police followed him to Luke’s Pond Drive where they sounded their sirens to indicate that he stop and attached their police body cameras. He slowed down leading the police to believe he was going to stop but he did a U-turn and travelled in the opposite direction before taking another U-turn.

At one point during the chase, he rode through some hedges onto Wadson’s Farm before bursting through the hedge and back on to Luke’s Pond Road.

DaCosta entered Middle Road without stopping, causing several drivers to slam on their brakes.

Officers broadcast to the man that he stop immediately but he continued eventually turning on to a westbound road again causing vehicles to stop.

Police saw DaCosta go “airborne” after racing over Somerset Bridge before being lifted off his seat with just one hand on the handlebars caused by speeding over a speed bump. He then failed to stop at a stop sign almost causing a collision.

As he approached Cricket Lane, police saw DaCosta slow down and stop at which point they parked their vehicle in front of his bike. But DaCosta continued the chase on foot towards Scott’s Hill Road until he was chased into a residence and caught. When asked by police why he had not stopped the man just replied “Lawyer”. When they asked his name, again he replied “lawyer”, before being arrested.

In court this morning, DaCosta asked Mr Tokunbo for some leniency as he needed his vehicle to get to work at a barber shop.

After asking his age, Mr Tokunbo told DaCosta: “You are riding around like a 16-year-old. You are a menace, a motoring menace.”

DaCosta was fined close to $3,500. He was given a 12-month road ban for refusing to give a breath sample which is to run concurrent with an 18-month ban that he was given for driving in a dangerous manner.

He was released on $3,000 bail.

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