A criminal has been jailed for more than four years for a dangerous rampage across traffic on Oxford Eastern Bypass and biting a police officer after telling him he had HIV.

Graeme Denton, of Primrose Place, Greater Leys, Oxford, - a 21-year-old with more than 80 previous convictions - was involved in two car chases with police, two burglaries and a theft, as well as biting an officer.

Kate Mallison, prosecuting, told Oxford Crown Court Denton was driving a black Vauxhall Tigra in the early hours of January 12 when police started chasing him because they were suspicious.

Driving at speeds of up to 50mph along Hollow Way, Denton drove the vehicle straight across the pavement and grass verge at the end of Horspath Road, through a gap in the railings and on to the Eastern Bypass, where the car ended up on its roof.

Denton fled, but at 9am the same morning police officers went to a house in Barton, Oxford, where they found him asleep in a garden.

He was bailed on a false name he had given police.

His real identity was only discovered 16 days later, after another car chase resulted in a second arrest.

On that occasion, Denton stole a red Volkswagen Golf in Barns Road, Cowley, before breaking into two houses.

At 7am, he threw a brick through the window of a house in Fairacres Road, East Oxford, and grabbed a laptop computer. An hour later, he smashed a window of a house in Charlton-on-Otmoor and stole a mobile phone and a nappy-changing bag, which looked like it contained a laptop. He also took an identity card from a car outside.

Police officers spotted Denton driving the stolen Golf and, after a pursuit and a struggle, he was arrested.

At St Aldate's police station, he continued to struggle and shouted that he was HIV positive.

When one officer attempted to remove the handcuffs, Denton bit him twice on the finger. The officer had to go for an HIV test, which was negative.

Denton admitted dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, two burglaries, theft, taking a vehicle without consent, failure to provide a specimen, and obstructing a police officer.

Peter Du Feu, defending, told Judge Tom Corrie that Denton had suffered a history of abuse and of drug addiction. He also believed he had a personality disorder.

After hearing that Denton had more than 80 previous convictions, the judge said: "You have a terrible record and an equally unfortunate background.

"I hope you get some rehabilitation, because if you don't, the future is bleak."

Denton was jailed for a total of four years and seven months for the separate offences and disqualified from driving for 18 months.