A joy-riding jewellery thief crashed into a police car during a high-speed chase across various towns after swiping gold worth £11k.

The crook convinced jewellers to hand over luxurious items in Sittingbourne and Herne Bay, after claiming to be shopping for his wife.

Billy Brazil, 31, then fled the stores with jewels, ahead of stealing and crashing his new girlfriend’s Renault Clio, during a separate stunt.

Brazil, of Sittingbourne, was jailed for 20 months at Canterbury Crown Court on Monday, where the prosecution laid out its case.

He tried on a £4k belcher chain in Battrum & Son in Sittingbourne High Street in June, “looked in the mirror then ran out of the store,” prosecutor Harry Hewitt said.

The shop’s CCTV showed Brazil fleeing with the chain around his neck – he was arrested the same day but soon released.

It would be longer than two months before Brazil raised the stakes, now with his sights locked on M & M Jewellers in Mortimer Street, Herne Bay.

He asked to view a 14 carat diamond cluster ring, worth £7.5k, then asked the shopkeeper if he could try another.

But “before she could answer he ran out of the shop [with the diamond ring],” Mr Hewitt continued.

He was arrested nearby and, in a police interview, argued he was forced to steal the items while acting under duress.

Brazil’s actions could have caused “huge loss to the business” with a potential to traumatise staff, an M & M spokesman said.

“This could have caused us to raise the price of other jewellery to offset this loss which would have a negative effect on our customers,” they continued.

Neither item has been recovered.

Meanwhile, Brazil struck up a two-month relationship with former partner Hannah Wright.

But it would come to an abrupt end after he stole and smashed up her car during a high-speed chase from Sittingbourne to Faversham, the court heard.

While at her Rainham home, Brazil claimed he was going to the shops at about 8pm on September 23.

Shortly afterwards, a friend texted Miss Wright asking what Brazil was doing behind the wheel of her Renault in Faversham.

When Miss Wright checked outside, the Clio had disappeared, and she called the police.

A patrol soon spotted Brazil driving the car erratically in Sittingbourne, when he suddenly accelerated to 60mph in a 30mph zone.

After overtaking a vehicle on the wrong side of the road he drove through a red light in Fox Hill, and swerved back into an oncoming lane.

With the police car on blue lights, Brazil turned back to the A2 and attempted to ram the police car, ahead of a stinger being deployed.

But the device deflated only one tyre, allowing Brazil to head towards Western Link in Faversham before reaching a junction with Wildish Road, where he smashed into an unmarked police Ford Focus on blue lights.

He tried to flee on foot but a police officer used their vehicle to box him in.

Brazil, of Barrow Grove, has 36 previous convictions for 70 offences including wounding a former partner with intent, the court heard.

Prosecutors said on Monday he pleaded guilty at an early opportunity to two counts of theft from a shop, dangerous driving, failing to stop, driving while disqualified and without insurance, and aggravated vehicle taking.

Representing Brazil, Archangelo Power said he comes from the traveller community where he received little formal education.

He added Brazil has struggled with a personality disorder and became deeply traumatised following the loss of a loved one.