A motorist has been told it was just pure luck that no-one was killed when he smashed into the front of a Norwich health centre after reaching speeds of up to 70mph during a police chase.
Torrelle Porter, 21, fled from a silver Mercedes Benz car after it crashed into the wall of Adelaide Street Health Centre, on the junction of Adelaide Street and West End Street.
Porter, of Springbank, Norwich was later arrested by police after the crash, which happened at about 2.10pm on Friday, July 19.
Norwich Crown Court heard the offence happened just four weeks after the defendant was given a suspended sentence for a previous dangerous driving offence.
Danielle O'Donovan, prosecuting, said the defendant tried to "hide his identity" after he "came to the attention of police officers.
They turned on their blue lights but Porter "failed to stop".
Miss O'Donovan said the prosecution say it was at speeds of up to 70mph in a 30mph residential zone, although the defence insist it was 50mph.
She said that after a short distance he lost control of the car which smashed into the wall of a health centre.
Miss O'Donovan said it was purely by coincidence that no-one was injured.
Porter appeared for sentence on Tuesday (September 3) having admitted dangerous driving and driving while disqualified.
Jailing Porter for a total of 14 months, Judge Stephen Holt told the defendant it was "lucky" there was not someone coming out or going into the health centre at the time.
Judge Holt said the matter was aggravated by the defendant's "appalling" record of driving which saw him given a suspended sentence for dangerous driving just four weeks before this offence.
The defendant was also banned from driving for 31 months and ordered to take an extended retest before he can drive again.
Porter also admitted failing to stop for police, driving without insurance, two offences of using a vehicle with insufficient tread and breaching a suspended sentence.
Richard Kelly, mitigating, said Porter was back in court so soon as "his life fell into complete turmoil" after he split from his partner and lost contact with his child.
Mr Kelly said he became depressive before the incident and made "bad decision after another" including taking the car before the pursuit.
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