A dangerous driver who crashed after leading police on a 15-minute high-speed chase through Colchester and onto the A12 has been jailed.

Connor Murton, 23, was driving a BMW on false number plates in Colchester on July 21 last year, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

A police motorcyclist signalled for the BMW to stop but Murton made off, driving at speeds of up to 60-70mph in a 30mph zone, Emma Nash, prosecuting, told the court.

The BMW, which had four occupants, then turned onto the A12 and reached speeds of 120mph.

Murton was overtaking and undertaking vehicles and there was a near miss with a car transporter, Ms Nash said.

Murton was flashed by a speed camera on the A12 at Stratford St Mary travelling at 103mph, and the woman who had had her number plates cloned received a speeding ticket.

The BMW then crashed and the four men fled the scene, and one was detained at the scene, the court heard.

Murton's DNA was found on the driver's seat air bag following the crash.

Murton, of Mildmay Road, Ipswich, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving otherwise in accordance with a licence, fraudulently using a registration mark and driving without insurance at Suffolk Magistrates' Court.

In a victim personal statement read in court by Ms Nash, the woman whose plates were cloned and used on the car said she had to go to a lot of effort to prove her innocence.

She said the incident was extremely stressful and caused her anxiety.

The court heard that Murton had five previous convictions for nine offences.

Adam Norris, mitigating, said Murton had been made redundant due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr Norris said Murton had sold the car to a friend of a friend but after a period time of time, the person said he didn't want the car and wanted his money back.

"The car came back with changed plates but he accepts using the car with false plates," Mr Norris said.

"He wishes to apologise for his rash behaviour."

Sentencing Murton on Wednesday, Recorder Antony Dunne said it was a "serious and prolonged" incident of dangerous driving.

Addressing Murton, he said: "It's fortunate you did not cause a very serious accident."

Murton was jailed for a total of eight months and banned from driving for 28 months.