Teenage tearaway in five-mile police chase spared jail

Dominic Aston went "off the rails" and was shown the door by his long-suffering mother, a judge was told.

The defendant started sofa surfing and fell in with the wrong crowd who led him further astray, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

Some of those bad influences were passengers in the Ford Focus he was driving and egged him on to ignore police who wanted him to stop in Pedmore Road, Brierley Hill at 1.30am on July 29, it was said.

The car reached 50mph over speed bumps in 30 and 20mph zones as other police units joined the pursuit and laid a Stinger across part of the road which punctured one of the car's tyres, explained Mr Howard Searle, prosecuting.

The 18-year-old driver still did not stop but jumped out of the car with the other occupants while it was still moving.

They fled on foot as the vehicle rolled over the kerb and into woodland.

Aston and one of the passengers were tracked to their hiding place by a police dog.

Ms Samantha Powis, defending, revealed: "He became difficult at home and was not abiding by his mother's rules.

"Matters came to a head and she threw him out.

"He sofa surfed with others who encouraged him to drive the car and keep going after the police ordered him to stop."

The defendant, who had been stopped by police six days before the chase, and his mother are now reconciled, the court heard and Ms Powis concluded: "He is well aware of what will happen if he transgresses again."

Aston, from Celandine Road, Wren's Nest, Dudley, admitted dangerous driving and having neither valid licence nor insurance.

He was given a 12-month community order with a rehabilitation course and a two year driving ban.

Judge Amjad Nawaz told him: "The folly of all this is that a car like yours was never going to lose the police.

"You ought to be grateful to your mother for giving you a second chance."