AN ‘erratic’ driver who plunged into a river after zooming through Oxford during a high-speed police chase has been jailed.

Matthew Dobbs fled police in a stolen Ford C-Max at speeds reaching 80mph before steering off a dirt track and landing in the water.

He claimed an officer thumped him twice to the face and bashed his head on the riverbed after pulling him from the sinking car, leaving him with a bloodied nose.

The officer confessed he punched the 28-year-old, who was jailed for 48 weeks, just once as he resisted arrest, Oxford Crown Court heard.

Thames Valley Police spokesman James Williams said no complaints had been received by the force regarding the officer's conduct, adding: "A police officer can use reasonable force when making an arrest, especially when a suspect is trying to escape arrest or becomes violent.

"The force welcomes the sentence handed to Dobbs, as his actions were extremely dangerous and it was lucky that no-one was seriously injured."

The car was hired by a resident of Hurst Street, who realised it had been stolen from his home on May 22, prosecutor Cathy Olliver said on Tuesday.

Officers spotted Dobbs, who had 22 convictions for 42 offences, driving the car erratically at Littlemore roundabout at about 10.15am the following day.

But he failed to stop, accelerating round a police car and along Oxford Road while pedestrians and cyclists were nearby.

The driver was also spotted erratically overtaking cars and driving in the path of an oncoming vehicle which was forced to mount the pavement to avoid a smash.

Dobbs continued to rocket across Oxford’s streets, including Henley Road, speeding at 70mph as he crossed the Heyford Hill roundabout.

He then found himself stuck behind a car, allowing police to ‘box him in’, but he managed to squeeze through a gap, colliding with the officers’ vehicle as he escaped.

The defendant raced along Old Abingdon Road and Kennington Road, before losing control and bursting one of his tyres after hitting another car.

Dobbs then pulled on to the Thames Path, driving at 30mph before splashing into the river and later declaring to officers: 'I wish I had been going faster so I could have drowned in the river'.

Defence barrister Jonathan Coode said Dobbs, who must pay a victim surcharge, 'panicked' as he was subject to a suspended sentence order before the 10-minute police chase.

The heroin addict, who was 'gifted' the car by a man he knew and was suffering from depression, leads a chaotic lifestyle and has been homeless for the past five years, the barrister added.

Dobbs, of no fixed abode, admitted dangerous driving, driving with no insurance and driving otherwise in accordance with a licence on May 23.