A REDDITCH driver who flipped his car over in a high-speed smash after racing through residential streets, left his girlfriend trapped inside and ran away from police, a court heard.

Christopher Lewis, 27, drove at more than double the 30mph speed limit as he tried to out-manouvre police officers during a chase in Redditch in August.

Lewis, of Salters Lane, Batchley, was jailed for 12 months after admitting dangerous driving at Worcester Crown Court on Monday, December 2.

Judge Patrick Thomas QC told him he could have killed both himself and his girlfriend, as well as anybody else on the roads on the evening of August 19.

Lewis was also disqualified from driving for two years.

Prosecutor Paul Whitfield told the court that at around 8.45pm on the night, police had spotted a blue Vauxhall Astra turn out of Southcrest Road, Redditch, at high speed.

They put on their blue lights, he said, but instead of stopping, Lewis accelerated, beginning a high-speed chase, where he cut up other cars, made sudden turnings and drove on the wrong side of the road at points before losing control and crashing.

The court heard Lewis had a long record of driving offences, and is currently serving a prison sentence for common assault and witness intimidation.

Defending, Timothy Harrington said Lewis had driven away as he had because he was on a police curfew and should not have been out at the time he was,and decided to try to escape.

"He is completely ashamed of what he has done. It was a foolish and immature thing to do," he said.

Judge Thomas said the 12-month sentence was the lowest he felt he could hand out given the circumstances.

"You had better do some pretty rapid growing up, or you will be seeing more and more of the inside of prison," he added.