Devon and Cornwall Police have released a video of a biker riding at more than 100mph before he crashes through a hedge and into a field.

The biker, Nicholas Pannell, 30, of Brook Close, Plympton, was racing fellow biker Joshua Illingworth, 29, of Venford Close, Paignton, at speeds of up to 118mph last July. They didn’t know each other beforehand.

Pannell’s speed eventually gets the better of him and he misjudges a corner and crashes through a hedge and is thrown from his 1,100CC KTM bike in a field just before Totnes Cross junction.

The recording of the racing, which occurred between Aveton Gifford and Halwell, was discovered on Pannell’s helmet camera when police were called to the scene of the crash. While Pannell was recovering in Derriford Hospital, after suffering a fracture to his clavicle, fractures to his ribs and damage to his ventricle, police poured over the footage.

The full 13 minutes of footage was shown to the court.

Police reviewed the footage, which showed Pannell him doing 91mph in a 30mph limit and 102mph in a 40mph zone in Aveton Gifford.

At times Pannell can be heard on the audio track of the GoPro, which was mounted on the side of his helmet, swearing at other drivers as he overtook at speed.

As Illingworth raced ahead, with Pannell attempting to keep up, the KTM rider was heard shouting “mate, it's f****** blind-arse corners man”.

At one point, as he sped along a country road at 90mph, Pannell was heard laughing and saying: “I don't even know what road this is”.

After reaching 111mph he catches up with Illingworth who gives him the thumbs up sign.

Pannell was then heard saying: “This guy is loving it. Have to get his email address and send him this video... where the f*** are we?”

As he reaches 110mph on his speedometer he is heard to say he brakes when he saw Illingworth brake, adding: “I don't know what's around the corner.”

Moments later, as he races over three SLOW signs on the road, Pannell careered to the left hand side of the road on a bend.

As he shouted "Oh s***, oh s***, s***, s***", he hit and ran over a soft hedge and, hurtling into the field behind, was thrown from his bike.

Ali Rafati, for Illingworth said his client “understands the utter stupidity of his conduct”, nothing how he had no previous convictions and was a man of good character.

He said his client felt he had “brought shame upon him self and his family” and was prepared to carry out “humbling work” as punishment. The court heard they had both been of previous good character and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

Sgt Olly Tayler said it was “one of the worst cases of dangerous driving I've investigated”.

Speaking after they were given suspended sentences, he said: “It was nothing more than sheer luck that it didn't end in a fatality or multiple fatality.

“The standard of riding was appalling.

“As a roads police officer and motorbike rider, I was genuinely shocked when I saw the footage.

“The potential consequences could've been completely catastrophic, not just for them, but for other roads users.

“This was a sunny Sunday afternoon in July and there was a lot of traffic out. The roads were not deserted at all.

“It’s a stark warning that those who feel they can drive dangerously without fear of consequence are very much mistaken. This was at the top end of dangerous driving and today has proven just how seriously it will be taken.

“I was absolutely shocked when I first saw the footage; the duration and speed of the travel, coupled with the careless overtaking and disregard for road markings left me speechless.

“The consequences of this incident could have been a lot worse and I’m in no doubt that the two defendants here today have learnt a very hard lesson.”

Both were sentenced to eight months imprisonment on January 3, suspended for two years, disqualified from driving for 12 months, ordered to do 180 hours of unpaid and pay a victim surcharge of £140.

Sentencing, Judge Simon Levene told the pair they were “good men who had done an insane thing”.