LIAKUT Hussain, 23, has been jailed for eight months after he sped off in a Porsche 911 at the end of a test drive in Chippenham.

Swindon Crown Court heard Hussain, of Hounslow, Middlesex, pretended to be a mechanic when he and Imran Ashraf went to view the high powered German sports car.

But, when the owner of the vehicle got out at the end of the drive, Hussain put his foot down and raced away.

Nick Hawkins, prosecuting, said the car's seller, Graeme Porter, of Corsham, had advertised the vehicle in Autotrader for £28,500.

He said Ashraf had contacted him and viewed the vehicle on a Friday at the end of February.

After expressing an interest in the car he said he would return on the following Sunday with a mechanic to give it the once over.

The men arrived at McDonald's, in Chippenham, in a Land Rover Freelander to meet Mr Porter but, because the lighting was poor, they moved on to The Pheasant garage.

The three men then took the Porsche for a drive, leaving the Freelander at the garage.

Mr Hawkins said 24-year-old Ashraf, who was posing as the buyer, first drove the car, then Hussain got behind the wheel.

At the end of the drive Hussain pulled up alongside the Land Rover but when Mr Porter got out he put his foot down and sped off.

The police were called and spotted the car on the M4.

Hussain, who had some cannabis in his sock, then said that his name was Yusaf Khan and produced credit cards in that name but his fingerprints were taken and his real identity discovered.

Mr Hawkins said that the Land Rover was found to have false registration plates plates and was in fact stolen.

Hussain pleaded guilty to theft of the Porsche, handling a stolen Land Rover, possessing cannabis, driving both vehicles without insurance, theft of the credit cards and obstructing a police officer.

Ashraf, of Sparkhill, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to the theft of the car.

Alistair Bedford, defending Hussain, said his client had been put under pressure by Ashraf to take part in the offence. Although he accepted he was going to get £500 for his part in the theft he said Hussain had been threatened with violence if he didn't.

"Mr Ashraf was the instigator. He was the one who went to see the man before and arranged it all," he said.

"He has described his behaviour on that day as one huge mistake. He is a young man with a future. He is an educated man and finished university with a 2:1 degree. He has not been able to seek employment because of this case."

As well as the prison term Hussain was given a year's driving ban for the insurance offences.

The case against Ashraf was transferred to Birmingham Crown Court to link up with other matters.