A drug-driving former footballer crashed and flipped his car after hurling insults at his ex, injuring his three teenage passengers.

Jacob Luton was 12 times the legal drug limit when he drove past his former partner at least seven times, while shouting abuse out of the window.

The 19-year-old then hit two bumps in the road and lost control of the car, which crashed into a tree and overturned - injuring his three 16-year-old friends.

Believing one of his passengers was dead, the teenager could be heard shouting: "It's my fault. What have I done?"

All three passengers were injured, including one who was found trapped and later taken to a London hospital for treatment for multiple broken bones.

Ironically, the former Whitstable Town FC Youth player turned to his ex for help after escaping the wreckage.

Now, Luton, from Hernhill, near Faversham, has been sent to a young offenders' institution for 16 months and banned from driving for four years and eight months.

He had admitted causing serious injury by driving dangerously and driving while over the drug limit when he appeared at magistrates' court last year. He was 18 at the time of the offences.

Luton - who looked stunned after receiving the custodial sentence yesterday (Wednesday Jan 4) - claimed the incident last February unfolded after he had taken cocaine for the first time in the toilets of Faversham's Tesco store.

But he denied it was the cause of the horror smash, with his barrister claiming there was no evidence Luton was under the influence of the class A drug at the time.

Judge Julian Smith told the teenager he accepted he was regretful and remorseful for the harm caused by his actions.

"There is no doubt that the cocaine aggravates the position but I do not find sufficient evidence to show that you must have been impaired. If I suspect you were, that is not sufficient as I must be sure."

He added that Luton had "clearly shown hostility towards his former partner" and he had been driving too fast for that road, but added it would not be right for him to speculate about what could have happened.

Judge Smith said the earlier near-miss should have calmed Luton down, and the teenagers involved in the crash were fortunate no one was killed.

Prosecutor Ed Fowler told the court Luton had spotted his ex with her friends on the side of the road, and proceeded to drive up and down with one hand on the steering wheel while calling her names.

His ex later drove away, only to be confronted by Luton's Fiesta soon after. As she contemplated taking photographs of him, the two cars almost collided in the middle of the road.

She parked the car, and shortly after, was approached by Luton on foot who asked her to call the emergency services, the prosecutor said.

Tests later showed he had 603 micrograms of the cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine per litre of blood in his system, when the legal level is just 50.

Mr Fowler said that being 12 times the limit "may sound dramatic" but it cannot be compared to alcohol.

Luton had played for Whitstable's Under 15 side and the judge was shown testimonies from the club.