A getaway driver who reached speeds of up to 180mph in a police chase has been jailed for nine years by a judge who branded his driving "appalling" and "atrocious".
Ben Westwood, 33, was sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court for conspiracy to burgle, conspiracy to steal and dangerous driving. He had denied the charges.
The court heard that a police car and helicopter struggled to keep up with the speed of his driving as he attempted to flee the scene of an attempted robbery at a cash machine in the city on January 13.
Police thought Ben Westwood was going to out drive the helicopter
The court heard that Westwood was the leader of a gang which carried out a string of robberies at commercial properties across the Midlands between August 2011 and January 2012.
The raids were linked by a distinctive white Audi RS5, which was later resprayed black. The car, worth £85,000 and one of only two of that particular specification in the country, had been stolen from Stourport-on-Seven in Worcestershire, on August 3 last year.
Westwood, from Wednesfield, Wolverhampton, was arrested along with four other men after a raid on the Murco petrol station in Warstones Road in the early hours of January 13.
West Midlands Police said he fled the scene at the wheel of the Audi, travelling on to the M6 northbound through Hilton Park services.
A force spokesman said: "Police gave chase but were forced to halt their pursuit as the car reached a staggering 180 miles per hour.
"The police helicopter took up the chase as they doubled back at junction 13 and attempted to exit at junction 12.
"A police stinger didn't deter them as they did a U-turn on the exit slip road and went back on to the M6 the wrong way, doing a handbrake turn to set them southbound again to leave at Hilton Park services."
The car was later abandoned at a block of flats and Westwood was arrested after police dogs found him inside a property.
Sentencing, Recorder Nigel Baker QC told Westwood: "You have an appalling record for a man of 33. You are no stranger to burglaries of this type.
"I have come to the conclusion that the time has come to increase the level of sentencing that you have previously had."
The judge added: "This was an atrocious piece of dangerous driving. You drove through the suburban streets of Wolverhampton at speeds which the police car could not keep up.
"You were driving on the wrong side of the road. There was a moment in that pursuit when the helicopter thought that your intention was to out-run the helicopter.
"It was the most appalling piece of driving."