A dangerous driver who caused serious injuries to a girl after crashing into a tree has been jailed.

Michael Chapman repeatedly drove above the speed limit along the same passage of road in Sheerness before losing control in September 2018.

The 28-year-old, of Second Avenue, Sheerness, denied causing serious injury by dangerous driving but was convicted following a trial at Maidstone Crown Court.

He was sentenced to three years Friday.

The court heard the crash happened in New Road, Sheerness, shortly before midnight on Thursday, September 20, 2018.

Before the smash, Chapman convinced a woman he was travelling with to let him drive a Vauxhall Zafira despite not having a licence or insurance.

He repeatedly sped up and down a section of New Road before colliding with a tree near the junction with Dorset Road.

He was thought to be going at about 80mph.

One of the passengers, a young girl, has a serious leg injury that was initially treated as life threatening.

All passengers were able to get out of the car, which had a problem with its fuel system, before it caught alight.

Investigating officer PC Benjamin Price said: "Chapman made a deliberate and reckless decision to drive the car at high speeds despite not having a licence and drinking a large amount of alcohol.

"In taking control of the car, he accepted a duty to ensure the safety of his passengers and other road users. He flagrantly disregard this duty.

"His senseless decision caused serious injuries to a young child and it is merely down to chance that there weren’t fatal consequences."

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