A teenager led police on a nine mile chase after panicking because he had no licence.
At the time Ashley Longstaff had five other teenagers in the powerful Jaguar X-type car when he was spotted driving in Batley town centre in the early hours of February 19.
Over the next 12 minutes he drove on the wrong side of the road and went through red lights reaching 60mph in roads limited to 30mph.
Deputy Circuit Judge James Spencer QC told Longstaff: “To have six people in such a car is reckless, to then drive like a maniac is criminal.”
Adam Walker, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court that police officers followed Longstaff towards Dewsbury Ring road, Ravensthorpe and into Thornhill Lees where he eventually stopped in Edge Lane.
The protracted chase lasted 12 minutes 28 seconds and when officers later retraced the 9.5 miles route keeping to the speed limits the journey took 28 minutes to complete.
Mr Walker said the officers found Longstaff had five other teenagers aged 15 to 19 with him in the vehicle.
He said: “One can only contemplate what might have happened if the car had crashed laden the way it was.”
Longstaff told a probation officer he and others had put money together to buy and sell some cars and the Jaguar was one of those bought to sell on. It had been parked outside his cousin’s home and he was asked to drive it and felt under peer pressure to do so.
He panicked when he saw the police knowing he did not have a licence or insurance. The chase had put him off driving and was now no longer involved in the car dealing venture.
The probation officer told the court Longstaff came across as immature but realised the seriousness of what he had done.
Ashleigh Metcalfe for Longstaff said he had stable accommodation and had interviews pending for work. Those potential employers were aware he would not be able to drive.
Longstaff, 19 of Lees Hall Road, Thornhill Lees, Dewsbury, admitted dangerous driving, having no insurance or licence and was given 12 months detention suspended for two years with 200 hours unpaid work and disqualified from driving for 12 months.
Judge Spencer told him it was time to do some growing up and not to give in to peer pressure.
He had put his passengers in real danger when he tried to get away from the police.
