A FATHER-OF-THREE is spending Christmas behind bars for crashing his car in a high speed police chase and fleeing on foot.

Martin Osborne was jailed for six months after spinning the Volkswagen Golf 360 degrees at 70mph.

Osborne, 30, of Sedgewick Close, Manningham, Bradford, ran off but left his phone in the car and his partner rang it while the police were at the crash scene, Bradford Crown Court heard.

He was easily traced and arrested because the vehicle was registered to him.

The court heard that Osborne jumped a red light shortly after midnight on October 25 and was pursued by the police for three or four minutes before fishtailing the car and clipping the kerb in Brighouse Road, Hipperholme.

His barrister, Abigail Langford, said Osborne, who was licensed and insured to drive the car, panicked because he knew a rear light was out.

"This was a very foolish piece of driving but mercifully one which did not cause any injury to the public or damage to property," Miss Langford said.

Osborne pleaded guilty to dangerous driving.

The Recorder of Bradford, Judge Roger Thomas QC, banned him from driving for 12 months.