A banned driver who crashed head-on into a taxi during a high-speed pursuit in Elland has been warned by a judge that the next time he may kill someone.

Reece Smith, 26, was still on prison licence for a previous dangerous driving incident in Elland when police officers spotted him behind the wheel of an MG ZR “hot-hatch” last month.

Judge Jonathan Rose was shown in-car footage from one of the two police cars involved in the late-night pursuit which ended with Smith crashing the MG into a taxi as he turned into Whitwell Green Lane.

Prosecutor Ciara Riordan said Smith, who was uninsured and still subject to a 30-month driving ban imposed in June last year, was removed from the car and found to be in possession of a small amount of cannabis.

During the police pursuit on August 28 Smith drove through a red light and reached speeds of more than 80mph.

Miss Riordan said the MG was travelling at double the 20mph limit as Smith drove through Stainland village and reached speeds of 70mph in 30 and 40mph zones.

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She was unable to provide information to the judge about any injuries or damage caused in the collision with the taxi, but the court heard that Smith had 27 previous convictions for 41 offences.

In July last year Smith, of no fixed abode, was jailed for dangerous driving and told he would have to take mandatory extended re-test at the end his 30-month ban.

Smith pleaded guilty to charges of dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and possession of cannabis.

Jailing Smith for 14 months Judge Rose explained that the maximum sentence allowed by law for dangerous driving was two years and although the incident was a bad one it was not the worst of its kind.

The judge decided the starting point for the prison term should be 21 months but Smith’s early guilty plea meant he was entitled to a third off that sentence.

The court heard that Smith had bought the MG vehicle to do up and sell and he claimed that he had only been driving that night because he had a row with his girlfriend and he wanted to wanted to get away.

Judge Rose told Smith he was lucky to be alive after seeing the footage of the ridiculous speeds he had been driving at that night.

“You could have killed yourself,” the judge told Smith. “You could have killed a member of the public or the police officers who were pursuing you.

“The rules are made by the law and you will obey them or you will serve longer and longer prison sentences.”

The judge banned Smith from driving again for three years and seven months and warned him not to drive again until he had passed the extended re-test.

“The next time you drive you may kill someone and the sentence will be measured in years,” the judge warned him.