A TEENAGE robber sped off in a stolen car, dragging the terrified owner along the road and causing her serious injuries.

Jordan Gardner fled police in the stolen car during a dangerous high speed chase on the M5 before he left the motorway, running five red lights and crashing into another set of traffic lights. He also threatened a man with a meat cleaver in his garden before he was set upon, injured and disarmed.

The 18-year-old of Buryfields Estate, Cradley, near Malvern was jailed for five years at Worcester Crown Court on Wednesday.

He admitted robbery, possession of an offensive weapon, two affrays, dangerous driving, driving otherwise than accordance with a licence, driving without insurance, attempted theft, fraud and possession of cannabis.

Simon Hunka, prosecuting, said Nikki Butterworth had advertised her Fiat 500 for sale on Gumtree and met with the defendant at her Worcester home on March 10 only for him to drive off while she was attempting to get in the passenger seat.

Ms Butterworth had shouted 'no!' as Gardner pulled away in her Fiat 500.

Mr Hunka said: "She was dragged along the road, her right leg in the passenger footwell and her left dragged along the ground."

When the car finally stopped she was 10 doors from her house and had lost both her trainers.

She suffered ligament damage to her legs, bruising to her lower left leg, was bleeding from her foot and received bruising to her bottom and scuff marks to the right hand side of her body.

She needed eight weeks off work. When she returned she had to take up administrative duties, halving her pay.

She had to use crutches and cancel a holiday. It hurt her to sit down and she had to be helped to the toilet. Ms Butterworth also required surgery on open wounds to her foot.

Her car, which she had planned to sell for £4,000, was written off in the police chase and she could only sell it for scrap value of £200.

Mr Hunka said: "She felt lucky she was not killed, given the way he had behaved."

Gardner tried the same strategy 20 minutes beforehand but was foiled by Karolina Szablowska who stopped him stealing her Ford Focus by grabbing the keys, actions praised as 'very courageous' by his honour Judge Robert Juckes QC.

The police chase took place on the M5 northbound between junction 5 and 4a. Gardner left the M5 at junction 4, accelerating to 90mph, more than twice the 40mph limit, and running five red lights before crashing into another set of lights in Bristol Road South.

A police officer said it was 'a miracle nobody had suffered death or serious injury'.

Gardner brandished a meat cleaver towards Kevin Gill in the garden of a house in Dent Close, Worcester on May 29. The defendant was with another male who threatened Lucy Hencher with a BB gun.

But when police arrived it was Gardner who had facial injuries following 'a tussle'.

Lucy Hencher had attacked him and the two complainants succeeded in disarming Gardner who told them he was 'sorry and did not want to do it'.

Gardner further admitted affray at a house in Cradley at 3am on July 9, accompanied by his father Michael Smith, who has already been jailed for nine months.

The Cradley couple called 999, telling the operator their door was being kicked in while various threats were made towards them.

The fraud in May 2015 involved Gardner offering to sell a gold bar via eBay for £500. The complainant received instead a package containing six CDs and Gardner's fingerprints.

Nicholas Berry, defending, said Gardner was only 17 at the time some of the offences were committed.

Mr Berry said: "There's clearly a history of self-harm from as young as 11 and suicidal ideation.

"This is a young man who has had little to no support.

His father introduced him to class A substances at a very young age, in particular heroin.

"That father is much to blame for where his son now is, before a crown court."

Judge Juckes sentenced Gardner to five years in prison and banned him from driving for four and half years.

If he serves half his sentence he will effectively face a two year driving ban upon his release. He further ordered Gardner complete an extended retest.