A getaway driver from Bolton left a woman with serious injuries after a crash following a high speed police chase.

On January 22 this year, a woman had her Ford car stolen and it was not seen again until February 12, Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Justin Hayhoe said the car was spotted on South Royd Street in Tottington by CCTV footage of a house, which a woman, who was not present at the property, owned. She received a notification on her phone that the cameras had been activated due to movement at around 6pm.

When she checked the footage, she saw two masked men in her back garden trying to break into her property.

Mr Hayhoe said Craig Brightwell, 46, of Dunstan Street, Bolton, was in the Ford outside the house acting as the getaway driver.

The woman phoned the police who discovered the kitchen window smashed but nothing had been stolen.

Officers saw the Ford and the car sped off with the three men inside and was being “driven erratically and in a dangerous manner”.

The Ford crashed with a car when it mounted the kerb in Walshaw and it was spotted on Booth Street travelling at 50mph before it collided with a second vehicle.

Brightwell turned off the headlights off and drove on High Street at 80mph and run a red light on Cockey Moor Road at 90mph.

On Bury Old Road, Brightwell was still driving at 90mph and lost control of the car, crashing with a Suzuki, which was being driven by a woman.

She suffered serious injuries and was taken to Salford Royal Hospital where she remained for two days.

She suffered severe bruising, struggled to walk and experienced great pain. She was unable to return to her job as a nurse.

The court heard she died in July in unrelated circumstances.

After the crash, Brightwell tried to escape but was Tasered by police before being detained.

In a police interview, Brightwell said he had been paid by the two men he was with and was driving to assist them.

He pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, attempted burglary, driving while disqualified, driving with no insurance and possession of cannabis.

Adam White, defending, said that Brightwell feels “absolutely dreadful” about his actions and has genuine and heartfelt remorse for what he had done and the injuries he caused.

Mr White said: “He doesn’t want to continue leading his life like he has done.”

The court was told Brightwell understands he should have pulled over when police told him too, and his only concern at the time was to evade capture as he did not want to return back to prison.

The defendant left school with qualifications and has previously been employed for a significant time, demonstrating he could live in a lawful manner.

Judge Angela Nield said Brightwell undertook an “appalling course of dangerous driving”.

She added: “The car was driven in such a dangerous manner, that it was involved in three separate collisions, the third causing serious injury to the driver.

“She suffered significant bruising including to her head and chest. She described that she was in complete agony and couldn’t sleep without medication.”

Brightwell was sentenced to three years and six months in which he will serve half in custody and the rest on licence.

On his release from prison, he will be disqualified from driving for five years and will have to take an extended driving test.