A teenager who drove a powerful Audi car along Hythe Hill, Colchester, at speeds of up to 100mph has been put behind bars.

Lee Burke, 19, of Rosemary Road, Clacton, admitted seven driving offences at Colchester Magistrates' Court on Friday.

The charges included driving without a licence, driving without insurance, failure to provide an alcohol breath specimen, driving without due care and attention and theft of a car.

The court heard how on August 3 Burke, who has a history of driving convictions and is soon due to be a father, drove a powerful Audi along Hythe Hill in Colchester at speeds of up to 100mph while sounding his horn.

Kathy Matthews, prosecuting, told the court when police pulled Burke over, they found him to be unsteady on his feet and completely incoherent and he refused to give his details or provide a sample breath test.

At the time of the incident he was banned from driving, having been convicted of drink-driving in December 2006 and given an 18-month ban.

The court then heard that on October 3 Burke had driven a BMW down Thorpe Road in Clacton at speeds in excess of 80mph in a 30mph zone.

Police then backed off as they felt it more dangerous to continue the pursuit.

Burke then did a handbrake turn on St John's roundabout before driving on the other side of the road and ending up in Morrisons car park, where he was arrested.

The court heard how Burke admitted to police he had consumed seven cans of beer and smoked cannabis before getting in the car.

Matthew Swash, mitigating, said: "He was mixing in the wrong circles. He suffers from peer pressure and is easily led. He has a child due on November 5, and he wants to try to leave this all behind him."

Chairman of the bench, Peter Mockford, said: "You are repeatedly offending and the manner in which you were driving could have killed someone."

He called Burke a potential killer and sentenced him to five months and 21 days in a young offenders' institute.