A CAREER burglar sped at 110mph in heavy rain as he tried to escape the police after stealing a car before crashing it into a hedge.

Lewis Wood had travelled from Cardiff to raid a house in Ebbw Vale and took the keys to a Vauxhall Astra as a young family slept upstairs.

He was driving the £6,500 car to Cardiff when he was spotted by a police officer on patrol on the A472 near Newbridge.

Prosecutor Julia Cox told Cardiff Crown Court: “It was circulated over the police radio that a Vauxhall Astra had been stolen and the vehicle was picked up by ANPR at Crumlin.

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“It was raining heavily that night and the weather conditions made driving conditions particularly treacherous.

“The defendant appeared to react to seeing the police car and performed a handbrake turn in the middle of the junction.

“He went around a roundabout in the wrong direction and travelled towards Newbridge.

“The police officer signalled for him to stop with his blue lights but the defendant drove at 110mph where the speed limit was 70mph.

“A police stinger device was deployed near McDonald’s and the defendant’s tyres began to deflate.

“He lost control of the car and he slid across the road before coming to a stop when he went into a hedge.”

Miss Cox said that Wood had broken into a house in the Waunlwyd area of Ebbw Vale in the early hours of the morning of July 4.

She read out the complainant’s victim impact statement which said: “I am very upset. My children were asleep in bed at the time. I had only had the car for a few months and still owed money on it.

“I don’t know how much the damage is going to be but I have already had to pay £250 excess.”

When he was arrested, the prosecutor added, the defendant told officers that: “He didn’t know anything about a burglary and that he had been paid to drive the car back to Cardiff.”

The 30-year-old, of Morfa Crescent, Trowbridge, Cardiff, later pleaded guilty to burglary as well as dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking and driving while disqualified.

Miss Cox said Wood had six previous convictions for dwelling burglaries, nine for driving while disqualified and three for dangerous driving.

Ruth Smith, mitigating, told the court: “The defendant said he had travelled to join his brother at a party.

“He didn’t find the party and it was pouring with rain. He went into a house that was open and thought it was the party house.”

Ms Smith added: “He wants to express that he is very, very sorry for the stupidity of the offence.”

Judge Catherine Richards told Wood: “You have an appalling criminal record. You have no regard for the lives of other people when you are under the influence of drugs and alcohol.”

She jailed him for two years and 10 months and banned him from driving for three years and four months.