A teenage driver has today started an 18-month sentence after his car ploughed into 15 people on a trading park.

Harlee Pendergast, 18, of Green Lane in Eltham appeared at Woolwich Crown Court after he lost control of a Black Mini One on the Medway City Estate in Strood last September.

He will also have to take an extended driving test once his three-year ban is over.

He had previously pleaded guilty to four counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and one count of withholding information to obtain motor insurance.

The court heard that Pendergast was on his way to an unauthorised meeting off Sir Thomas Longley Road on the night of Friday, September 30.

The event saw car enthusiasts gather in large numbers to discuss and compare cars. Most of their vehicles were parked in a car park.

Following noise complaints from members of the public, officers from Kent Police attended the scene.

Moments after two of the officers got out their vehicles to speak to a nearby crowd, Pendergast was seen speeding and swerving towards them.

The driver then lost control and the car leapt into the air before colliding with 15 bystanders, one of whom was left trapped under the crashed car.

Despite being in a 30mph zone, forensic evidence suggested that he was driving at 69mph in the moments before.

As he got to around 20 metres away from the spectators, he was travelling at least 47mph.

Pendergast also failed to tell his insurance company about details of modifications he had made to his car – including the installation of blue lights.

The judge revealed that he will spend his time behind bars at a young offenders' institution.

"It is extremely fortunate that those injured did not lose their lives that night" - Detective constable David Holmes

The investigating officer detective constable David Holmes said: "While we accept that Pendergast did not set out to seriously injure people, his reckless and indefensible behaviour put a large amount of people at risk of harm.

"He made a conscious decision to speed through the estate performing dangerous manoeuvres and clearly did not have any consideration for the well-being of those around them.

"It is extremely fortunate that those injured did not lose their lives that night."