A 20-YEAR-OLD Stourbridge man who hit 100mph on the main Wolverhampton Road at Oldbury as he was "showing off" to a friend has avoided jail.

Judge John Wait at Wolverhampton Crown Court told Aqeel Altaf he had been showing off "in one of the most dangerous ways imaginable"

He added: "It was a busy suburban road and others were put at extreme risk. If you had hit anybody and they had been killed you would now be facing a prison sentence of many years. It is your good fortune that did not happen."

Patrolling police officers saw Altaf speed away from traffic lights and there was smoke spewing from the exhaust of his old Honda Civic car - Simon Phillips, prosecuting, said.

He said Altaf was driving up to 100mph and the police car had to hit 119mph before it finally caught up with his vehicle at traffic lights.

During the short pursuit - Altaf, who was driving "aggressively", undertook one car and caused two others to brake sharply to avoid a collision.

After his arrest he told the officers he "panicked" adding: "I tried to do a few lefts and rights to lose the police car."

When asked what other motorists would have thought of his driving, he said: "They would probably think I was in a hurry."

Altaf, of Wassell Road, admitted dangerous driving and was given a five-month jail term suspended for 18 months and ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work in the community.

He was further disqualified from driving for two years and told he must pay £340 costs.

Anthony Bell, defending, said Altaf, a man of previous good character, had been showing off to his friend as he stressed he accepted his driving had been unacceptable.

He said Altaf was now unemployed because he had lost his job as a result of the interim driving ban imposed on an earlier court appearance.

The Judge said: "One rarely sees speed as high as this on a restricted road. It was a busy road at nightime and it does create very special dangers. It only ended because of the intervention of the police officers."