A thief took a restaurant owner’s Land Rover for a joyride before crashing it while being chased by police.
Officers used PAVA spray on James Grainger as he fled in the stolen car in March.
The thief ploughed into another man’s car on North Erskine Street, Dundee, before being arrested.
Grainger, who has a string of previous convictions, was locked up at the city’s sheriff court after pleading guilty to taking the Land Rover Discovery and driving dangerously.
Sheriff Gregor Murray said: “You have an appalling record for road traffic offences and analogous offences of this sort.”
Car chase
Grainger had only recently moved to Dundee from Wales to be closer to his mother.
The court was told how Sanat Ghatak, owner of the Shaheen restaurant in the city centre, noticed his keys and car were missing after leaving at 8.30pm on the day in question.
Police were contacted and officers were asked to look out for the car.
A short time later, Grainger, 36, and a female associate from the Dundee Survival Group hostel, where he was staying, drove to Lidl in Stobswell in the car with another woman.
Prosecutor Lora Apostolova said: “At around 9.20pm, police officers driving northwards on Dura Street saw the car come out of the Brown Constable Street junction.
“They confirmed the registration and followed the vehicle on North Erskine Street.
“The vehicle came to a stop just behind a van.
“Officers told the accused to get out of the car.
“One of the passengers complied but the accused and his female associate remained inside.”
One of the officers shouted at Grainger to turn off the engine but he refused to make eye contact.
The PAVA spray was drawn and used through the gap in the driver’s window but Grainger reversed off at speed.
“The accused spun the car around facing the opposite direction and drove down the street at speed,” Ms Apostolova said.
“He failed to give way and collided with the witness’s car.
“It was struck with such force that it caused the vehicle to spin landing half way onto the pavement and the airbags were deployed.
“The witness suffered pain in his left arm.”
Prison
Grainger, a prisoner of HMP Perth, fled the scene but was later found at the car park area of the Dundee MOT centre.
He pled guilty to taking and driving away the Land Rover without consent from Chapel Street on March 21.
On the same day, Grainger drove dangerously by failing to stop the car when asked to do so by police, failing to stop at a give way junction and colliding with another vehicle causing damage.
Solicitor Paul Parker-Smith said Grainger had now been recalled on a prison sentence from Cardiff Crown Court and may not be released until November 2024.
Grainger was sentenced to 12 months in prison and disqualified from driving for seven-and-a-half years.
