A POLICE tape of a girl's terrified 999 call as her boyfriend's car was chased and rammed by a stranger helped jail the driver for 18 months yesterday.

Mark Brockhurst, 20, pursued the couple's Citroen Saxo for 11 miles along unlit country lanes until its path was blocked by a slowmoving 4x4.

The chase, which began on a mini-roundabout, ended with his Peugeot 309 repeatedly ramming them from behind.

The judge said that it was a frightening experience listening to the mobile phone tape at Teesside Crown Court.

Recorder Anthony Kelbrick said: "Nobody who heard that could have failed to be convinced that that young girl was in abject terror of what was going on."

Brockhurst claimed that Jodie Crowe, 16, and boyfriend William Pattison, 19, were lying, but the jury convicted him of dangerous driving in the incident near Leeming Bar, North Yorkshire, on December 11 last year.

Brockhurst's barrister Nigel Soppitt said: "There had plainly been something between these two drivers despite there being no admissions or anything in the reports.

"The expert said there were marks that were consistent with a collision. Of course it does not diminish the fact that there has been a proven allegation that this man has caused the ramming of another car, but my submission is that this was not as serious as was made out."

Mr Soppitt urged the judge to suspend any custodial sentence on Brockhurst because he was completing an electrician's apprenticeship in a job where he did house calls in a rural area.

The judge told Brockhurst: "It seems to me that young men who behave as you behaved must be sent to prison.

"Not to do so would clearly send out the wrong message to those who drive motor vehicles, lethal weapons in the way that you drove yours."

Brockhurst, of Leases Lane, Leeming Bar, was jailed for 18 months, disqualified from driving for 18 months and told that he must pass an extended test before driving again.