AN ABERTILLERY man was given a custodial sentence after taking his mother's car and driving it at a police car.

Sam Russell, 19, of Alexandra Road, Six Bells, appeared in Newport Crown Court yesterday for sentencing having preivously pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, failing to stop when requested by an officer, failing to stop at the scene of an accident, driving while disqualfied, driving with no insurance and taking a vehicle without consent.

Prosecutor Byron Broadstock told the court Russell took his mother's Citroen C2 car from the garage without her persmission on June 14.

He said an officer on duty saw the car in High Street, Abertillery, at around 11.45am, noticed the back seat passengers were not wearing seatbelts and tried to get the driver to pull over, but Russell accelerated away into Mitre Street, King Street and Princess Street.

Mr Broadstock said Russell was pursued by a police car with the siren and lights on until Duke Street, where the officer deemed it was unsafe to continue.

The court heard Russell collided with a taxi on Rhiw Park Road, causing damage to the front bumper, and drove off.

Mr Broadstock said the officer later saw the car again and saw the driver was Russell, who drove directly at the patrol car, forcing the officer to mount the kerb to avoid a collision.

Russell handed himself in to police four days later on June 20.

The court heard earlier this year Russell was given a 40-week suspended sentence for driving while disqualified and possessing mephedrone with intent to supply and breached it by trying to remove his electronic tag and failing to stay at his curfew address.

Representing Russell, Andrew Jones said Russell had previously played for the Newport Gwent Dragons under 16s and also played for Wales, but drifted after his rugby career was ended by a broken collar bone.

Judge David Morris sentenced Russell to 28 weeks in a youth offenders institute for breaching the suspended sentence and a further 28 weeks for the driving offences, to run consecutively.