A CAR wash attendant who led police on a 100mph chase through a town has been spared a spell behind bars.

Denis-Ionel Dinu, 20, from Hook, was sentenced to a six month jail sentence, which was suspended for two years, when he appeared at Winchester Crown Court on Friday.

He had earlier pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving without a licence and driving without insurance.

The court heard that at around 2am on August 26, police were parked at Station Road, in Hook, when a black car sped past, travelling in excess of the speed limit.

Officers began to follow the car, which was being driven by Dinu and was travelling at around 60mph at the time, and despite indications from the police to stop, Dinu ignored the request.

In the dock Dinu was listening to the incident through the help of a Romanian interpreter, as prosecutor Edward Lewis described the chase.

Mr Lewis said: “At one point during the incident Dinu went through some temporary traffic lights, which were red.

“At this point the police vehicle was travelling at 100mph and was struggling to keep up with him in a 40mph speed limit zone.”

The court heard that once Dinu did stop he was found to be driving without insurance or a licence and the vehicle he was driving was not fit for the road.

A few weeks later on October 20, Dinu was caught by officers again, but this time he was driving with more than double the legal limit of alcohol in his system.

For his offence he was fined £450 when he appeared at Basingstoke Magistrates Court on November 9.

Standing in the dock in a camouflage hoody, Dinu was representing himself and through his interpreter said: “I am really sorry, this will never happen again.”

In sentencing the 20-year-old, Judge Keith Cutler QC told Dinu had he been convicted by a jury he could have been facing an “immediate custodial sentence.”

Judge Cutler sentenced Dinu to six months for the dangerous driving and no separate charge for driving without a licence or insurance.

A curfew was also placed on Dinu which Judge Cutler added: “If its Christmas or New Year’s Eve and you are feeling hard done by remember you could be hard done by in your caravan or be in prison.”