THE driver of a stolen car sped away from police through sleepy villages at speeds of more than 120mph, a court heard.

Jake Moss, of Halewick Lane, Lancing, was on licence from prison when police stopped the stolen Volkswagen Golf with fake plates.

Officers pulled the car over near Billingshurst in January but Moss, 25, sped off – reaching speeds the police could not keep up with on the A272.

He sped through residential areas and overtook on blind corners before crashing.

On Tuesday, at Hove Crown Court, he admitted dangerous driving and aggravated vehicle taking.

Nicholas Hall, prosecuting, said: “Police saw a VW Golf being driven in Billingshurst which they suspected had false plates.

“They successfully pulled the car over but as the officer was about to get out to speak to the driver it then accelerated away at speed.

“The marked police car pursued it.

“There were a number of dangerous incidents caught on their video camera.

“It drove through residential areas with a 30mph limit at 78mph in various villages with a 30mph limit.

“The car drove over 70mph.

“In the 50mph limit on the A272 it was driving in excess of 120mph.

“The police car followed it at 100mph but couldn’t keep up.

“It crossed double white lines, overtook on blind bends and it was dark at that time on a January night.

“The police car lost sight of it near Cowfold but then just north of Henfield they discovered it crashed and rolled over onto its roof.

“The dust still in the air indicated it had only just happened.

“This defendant was the driver.

“The passenger was seriously hurt and had to spend 36 hours in hospital with bleeding on the brain and broken ribs.

“The vehicle in question had been stolen in a burglary in Manchester in October 2016 and its plates had been switched.”

The court was told that Moss was serving a four-year prison sentence for a number of other offences and had been released on licence at the time of this incident on January 19.

He had also previously been banned from driving for another instance of dangerous driving.

Judge Gold QC described the incident as an “absolutely appalling course of driving, culminating in a traffic accident” adding that Moss had a “bad record for similar offences”.

Moss was sentenced to a total of 30 months in jail – made up of 15 months for aggravated vehicle taking, 12 months for dangerous driving plus three months for driving while disqualified.

He was also banned from driving for a further six years and six months.

Moss also pleaded not guilty to a separate incident of aggravated vehicle taking and dangerous driving in Hove in December.

Prosecutors asked for the charge to lie on file as a second man had admitted the offences and was serving a jail sentence for them.

However, police are investigating whether the second man “took the wrap” for Moss and therefore would have committed the crime of perverting the course of justice.