A MAN who led police on a ‘high speed’ chase through central Oxford while driving a milk van has been jailed.

Elliott Harper, 23, was sent to prison for a total of 14 months at Oxford Crown Court today for a string of offences.

Harper was at the wheel of the vehicle on May 9 last year when, in the early hours of the morning, he drove at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour in an attempt to evade police.

The van had been taken from the Milk and More dairy in Abingdon Road as it was being loaded.

It was spotted by police near Oxpens at 12.45am but when officers tried to stop the vehicle, Harper ‘took off’.

The court heard how he proceeded to turn his lights off, drove the wrong way down a one way street and nearly collided with a taxi during the pursuit.

It was finally stopped with the help of a stinger near the Redbridge Hollow travellers site.

Harper, who had been living in the site on and off, abandoned the van at the entrance and ran in but was arrested after a short chase.

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He was heard to tell the officers that he would have swerved and used the van to block the gate if it hadn’t been ‘full of milk.’

The whole incident was over in less than 10 minutes.

As well as aggravated vehicle taking, Harper pleaded guilty to driving without a licence or insurance.

He also faced two charges of theft related to separate incidents in a Boots store in Wales where hundreds of pounds worth of cosmetics were stolen.

When interviewed by police, Harper claimed he had been paid to drive the van to an address in Summertown.

Peter Du Feu, representing the defence, said it would ‘be a relief’ to his client to get the case over with.

Harper has previously claimed he has problems with drink and drug abuse and pleaded to be sent on a rehabilition course.

But probabtion officers said these issues had never been raised previously.

Explaining his family circumstances, Mr Du Feu said: “His dad died in September 2017 and he has fallen out with his mum to the extent that when they pass in a shopping centre, they do not acknowledge each other.”

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The barrister added the comments made to police at the scene were those of a ‘naive young man’ that ‘spoke volumes’ of his immaturity but argued his youth meant there was enough time for him to turn his life around.

In sentencing, Judge Peter Ross told Harper, who has a long history of offending, that he had a ‘terrible record’ for a man of his age.

The 14 month prison sentence included two months for the thefts and 12 for the vehicle taking.

Judge Ross said: “I am keeping the sentence low because of your age and you do need some assistance.”

Harper was also disqualified from driving for 18 months with a seven month extension which will not kick in until he has served his time in prison.