A TEENAGE driver who led police on a dangerous late-night chase through East Oxford and Headington without his lights on has been spared jail.

Ashir Ali, 18, of Southfield Road, Oxford, was sentenced for dangerous driving at Oxford Crown Court on Friday.

The court heard Ali, who was 17 at the time of the offence, had only passed his driving test weeks before his run in with police on May 23 last year.

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Officers had been called to East Oxford at around 1.20am about a parked BMW but when police went to approach the car, the teenager ‘panicked’ and sped off and police gave chase.

Tariq Shakoor, prosecuting, said Ali, who was not insured and had a female passenger, was going ‘comfortably double’ the speed limit on mostly residential roads throughout.

He said the teen went through two sets of red traffic lights, the wrong way around a roundabout and did not have his lights on at any point.

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Mr Shakoor added police followed Ali along Percy Street, St Clements Street, up to Headington Hill and were ordered to stop when the teenager joined the A40 northern bypass as it was judged not be safe to continue the pursuit.

Ali was arrested four days later and pleaded guilty to dangerous driving at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on February 26.

Sophie Stannard, in mitigation, said his actions were ‘completely out of character' and he had bought the BMW shortly before the incident ‘foolishly’ thinking he could use the insurance of the previous owner.

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Ms Stannard added: “He was also seeing a young lady who for cultural reasons he was forbidden to.

“This is the worst experience he has had in his life this far and he is deeply ashamed of what he has done.”

Judge Ian Pringle, sentencing Ali to 10 months in prison suspended for two years, said: “Instead of facing the music you decided to make a get away doing 40-50mph in built up areas.”

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He added the teenager had displayed ‘truly appalling driving’ but would give him a ‘first and only’ chance.

Ali was ordered to complete 180 hours unpaid work and will have a curfew between 8pm and 6am for two months**.

He was also banned from driving for two years and will have to take an extended test before he is able to get behind the wheel again.

** A previous version of this story said the curfew was for 12 months. We are happy to clarify that the curfew is in fact for two months.