A MAN who crashed a stolen car while fleeing from police during a crime spree has been jailed for a catalogue of offences.

Billy Butler, 21 of Pear Tree Walk, Carterton, was told he needed to ‘grow up’ after being sent to prison for 18 months on Tuesday following the rampage through the town earlier this year.

On February 3, Butler was driving a grey Peugeot 206 which had been stolen from a driveway a few days earlier on January 28 after its owner left the keys in the car overnight.

The number plates had been switched with those of another car, a Renault Scenic, which went missing in the Witney area on February 2.

Prosecuting, Michael Roques told Oxford Crown Court that police attempted to stop the car whilst it was driving in Bluebell Way after recognising the plates were stolen.

Butler then attempted to flee and police momentarily lost him before another officer picked up the chase.

Witnesses described seeing Butler driving ‘way too fast for the situation’ towards them in a street crowded with cars.

They assumed he would pull over but kept coming towards them, eventually crashing into two vehicles - a stationary car and a witnesses’ car.

Butler attempted to drive on but ended up in some bushes by the side of the road.

At that point he attempted to hide in a garden where he was found and arrested.

Whilst in the police car, Butler was said to have become ‘very aggravated’.

He managed to move himself to the front seat and started kicking repeatedly at the dashboard, eventually breaking the rear view mirror.

He admitted aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified and causing damage to the mirror.

He also admitted handling stolen goods - a Canon camera - that was inside the Peugeot at the time it was taken.

A ‘electric fence energiser’ that was also in the car has still not been recovered.

It was not suggested Butler stole the car, but acquired it for such a small sum on money that he must have known it was stolen.

The court heard how Butler has a long list of previous convictions including several burglaries and was disqualified from driving in November 2016.

In mitigation, defence barrister Louis French said Butler has a long-term partner and was acting as a father to her children.

He is ‘determined’ not to get back into trouble, according to Mr French, and has found occasional work with scrap metal which has helped him to begin to turn his life around.

Judge Nigel Daly said the criminal damage was ‘stupid’ and warned Butler that the list of offences ‘all add up.’

He added: “It is about time you stop this because it is just going to carry on otherwise.”

Along with the 18 month prison sentence, Butler was disqualified from driving for three years.