A DRIVER who led police on a 100mph chase and destroyed a young family’s home has been jailed.

Craig Collins and his family were asleep when Eljado Prendaj crashed a blue Ford Focus into their home on Leigh Road, causing £40,000 worth of damage.

Prendaj, an Albanian illegally living in the UK, struck two of the Collins’ family cars outside the home at such force, one of them collided with the home.

It caused lumps of brick and debris to be propelled into the house just inches away from where one of Mr Collins’ sons was sleeping.

Describing the incident as “one of the worst cases of dangerous driving”, Southampton Crown Court judge Gary Burrell QC sentenced Prendaj to 12 months jail and told him he faced deportation, saying he “drove like a man possessed”.

Officers had spotted Prendaj “swerving across carriageways” close to Rownhams Services at around 3am on November 8, prosecutor Roderick Blaine told the court.

Having pulled over when police signalled to him, Prendaj, then sped off as officers got out of their vehicle.

The court heard that Prendaj then joined the M27 before taking the sliproad towards Eastleigh at too high a speed.

Mr Blaine said: “The officers saw sparks from the car which meant part of it was obviously touching the ground.

“Officers did not see what happened. They turned the corner and did not see the car as expected. But they did see the car on its side and the two cars parked outside the house had been struck.

“One of the two cars shunted into the front of the house, the other into a neighbour’s fence.”

In a statement, Mr Collins said both of the cars had been written off and as a result of the crash his family had been forced to live in a hotel.

He added: “The fire officers said the home was unsafe to live. It was examined by the housing association and it was deemed unsafe.

“We are grateful for the hotel but it’s unsatisfactory for our family to be in one room of a hotel, all the children sharing one room.

“It’s unfair on the children because they can’t see their friends and are cooped up in the room. We are grateful to all the support from the housing association, friends and family.”

Since the incident, the family have found accommodation and with the help of the community managed to kit it out with furniture.

Mr Blaine added that it was estimated that the cost to fix the home would be around £40,000.

Eve Shelley, mitigating, said Prendaj “had a moment of complete panic” when he decided to speed off from the police.

She said Prendaj had been concerned that officers may have found out he was living in the country illegally.

“He is remorseful and offers his sincere apologies to the family,” Ms Shelley added.

Judge Burrell QC told Prendaj, pictured, he was “crazy” to drive at such high speeds.

He said: “You could have killed someone...you were driving like a man possessed.

“As it was you caused a lot of damage and badly frightened the Collins family and their children. It’s one of the worst cases of dangerous driving.”

Prendaj, of no fixed address, admitted dangerous driving, driving without a licence and without insurance.

As well as a jail, Prendaj was banned from the roads for three years and ordered to take an extended retest when that time period elapses.