A terrified woman and a child ran for their lives after a bricklayer smashed a van through the front of a shop in Ramsgate.

Jurga Krystoliatye, who fled from the the Baltic Branch shop in Queen Street, later told the police: "I thought I was going to die."

Justin Newton, 31, had crashed his father's white Vauxhall Combo van into the side of the building causing £200,000 of damage.

CCTV footage showed the victim grabbing her friend's seven-year-old son and running outside of the shop as glass, brickwork and rubble was sent flying across the room.

After the accident, which happened two years ago, Newton, of High Street, Ramsgate, and his female passenger were seen fleeing the scene.

He handed himself in at the police station the next day and admitted charges of aggravated vehicle taking, driving without insurance or a licence, and failing to stop in his first court appearance.

Newton was bailed to appear before Canterbury Crown Court in April 2011, but went on the run for 18 months before a warrant was put out for his arrest.

Anthony Prosser, prosecuting, said witness Mr Jascemskas, who was sat outside the eastern European food shop and hair salon, described seeing the white van driving "very fast" down the road towards him at around 8pm.

"it is little short of a miracle, having seen the cttv, that the lady and the seven-year-old child who were sitting on a sofa inside that shop were not killed...” – judge heather norton

He said as the vehicle hit the corner by the shop it went sideways and vaulted over the pavement before crashing into the shop window.

Miss Krystoliatye, who was inside, described seeing glass flying everywhere and a small glass table hitting her in the right knee - causing a cut.

Baltic Branch owner Andrius Rickus, who was in a back room, heard an almighty bang as the car hit the shop and felt the building move.

Simon Taylor, defending, said Newton had taken the van, which was being used by his brother for labouring work, to give a friend a lift home.

"He made a foolish mistake in taking a car that he shouldn't have taken," he said.

"He knows that he didn't have permission by virtue of the fact that he didn't have insurance.

"He's a hard-working man who did something foolish two years ago and now he's going to be punished for it."

Justin Newton was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court

Mr Taylor added Newton had "buried his head in the sand" by failing to appear at the previous court hearing but knew he had a duty to face justice and had presented himself to police following the warrant.

Judge Heather Norton said: "You took your father's van without either his or your brother's permission and drove it.

"Whatever speed you were driving was excessive and you lost control of that vehicle. In order to drive through that shop window you drove across a very wide pavement. It was a miracle, frankly, that there was nobody on that
pavement.

"It is little short of a miracle, having seen the CCTV, that the lady and the seven-year-old child who were sitting on a sofa inside that shop were not killed."

Newton was given an eight-month sentence, suspended for 15 months, banned from driving for two years and ordered to carry out 240 hours' community service.

He was also electronically tagged to remain at his partner's address in Canterbury Road, Birchington, between 6am and 6pm.

Newton must also pay £1,500 in compensation to Mr Rickus, £500 to Miss
Krystoliatye and £250 in court costs.