Driver performed "doughnuts" in Mansfield Market Place and rammed police car

Sam Jones was driving a Ford Focus when he made off without paying for £15 of petrol from the Total garage in Southwell, on January 5, prosecutor Sanjay Jerath said.

The car was spotted in Kirkby, travelling at 70mph in a 30mph zone, and failed to stop after running red lights on Diamond Avenue.

Jones collided head-on with the police vehicle after U-turning on Alexandra Street.

"Two people ran from the car and the driver was chased by an officer." said Mr Jerath.

Jones barged through a gate, which he damaged, and was “violently aggressive,” shouting "F*** off – let me go," and, "Just get the f*** off me - my dad will kill me."

He punched the officer in the face and tried to snap his finger back.

The officer threatened to shoot him with a Taser, and punched Jones twice in the face, before more officers arrived to wrestle him to the ground.

He was captured on CCTV doing doughnuts in Mansfield town centre, the court heard.

The Ford Focus was stolen from an address on Alexandra Street, Kirkby, on New Year's Eve, the court heard, and fitted with number plates taken from a car parked on Chapel Street, Kirkby.

Donna Pursglove, mitigating, said Jones, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, but suffers from “underlying mental health issues.”

"He accepts that he smokes cannabis. He feels he is overwhelmed with day-to-day tasks. He finds it very difficult to provide an explanation for what happened."

Jones, 21, of Park Street, Kirkby, admitted assaulting an emergency worker, making off without payment, handling stolen goods, theft from a motor vehicle, criminal damage, dangerous driving and driving without a licence or insurance, when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Thursday.

Magistrates imposed an interim driving ban and sent the case to Nottingham Crown Court where it will be sentenced on August 5.

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