A dangerous driver who crashed a stolen car during a police pursuit has been jailed.
Louis Denham, aged 26, led police on a lengthy pursuit after stealing the car from Radcliffe-on-Trent in the early hours of 10 April this year.
The vehicle was later spotted travelling along the A52 and instructed to stop by police.
Instead of pulling over, Denham made off at high speed – driving through residential areas at nearly twice the speed limit, bouncing over speedbumps and passing blind through junctions.
The pursuit came to an abrupt end when Denham tried and failed to negotiate a sharp left-hand bend before crashing into a ditch.
After fleeing the stricken vehicle on foot, he was chased down by officers and arrested.
Further investigation revealed that the car had been put on false plates immediately after it was stolen.
Denham, of no fixed address, later pleaded guilty to theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving, driving without a licence, driving whilst disqualified and driving without insurance.
Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday, he was jailed for 16 months.
Detective Constable Kate Taylor, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was a disgraceful display of driving that demonstrated a total disregard for the safety of other road users.
“By travelling at such excessive speed through residential areas, Denham could quite easily have killed or seriously injured himself or somebody else.
“I am pleased he has now been jailed and hope this sentence serves as a warning to others about the consequences of this kind of behaviour.”
