A joyriding learner careered around Ipswich in his father’s car in what a taxi driver described as the worst case of dangerous driving he had seen.

South East Suffolk Magistrates’ Court heard Geah Hasan, of Galway Avenue, Ipswich, took his dad’s Vauxhall Astra without permission for a three-hour jaunt because he was bored.

The 23-year-old - who had a female in the car at the time - pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking, driving without insurance and otherwise in accordance with a licence.

The offences occurred on New Year’s Day.

Prosecutor Ian Allen said Hasan took the Astra after his father and other family members went to London.

At around 6.20pm a taxi driver was in Silent Street when he saw the Astra estate driving across a roundabout at speed without giving way.

Concerned about Hasan’s driving the taxi driver followed the car which was travelling in excess of the 30mph speed limit.

Mr Allen said the Astra went through a red traffic light, into Tacket Street and Upper Orwell Street increasing its speed to 35-40mph.

It stopped a red light at St Helen’s Street and then turned into St Margaret’s Street before zig-zagging as if the driver was twisting the steering wheel back and forth.

Police were called and the Astra was seen to turn right into Fonnereau Road in front of oncoming traffic at a speed of 40mph.

The court heard the taxi driver then lost sight of the car, but saw it again a short distance later being driven along Norwich Road at high speed. It travelled straight over the mini-roundabouts at the Valley Road junction causing several cars to do emergency stops to avoid a collision.

Mr Allen said the taxi driver told police he had never seen anyone drive as badly or as dangerously in seven years of doing his job.

Police stopped the Astra in Whitehouse Road at 7.55pm.

The female passenger told them she thought they had been driving around for three hours.

She added Hasan did not appear to know how to control the car, had struck kerbs three times and kept stalling the vehicle.

Mr Allen said Hasan admitted he took his father’s car because he was bored.

The prosecutor added: “It seems he was simply pushing the car to its limits.”

Sue Threadkell, representing Hasan who is a hairdressing student, said: “In a moment of complete and utter madness (he) started driving this vehicle and sadly did not stop.

The court was told Hasan - who came to the UK from Iraq in 2008 to join his father - was a learner driver with 20 lessons under his belt.

District Judge Sally Fudge adjourned the case until February 22 and did not rule out custody or sending the matter to crown court such was its seriousness.