A 36-year-old car thief named Fagg was trapped by his own DNA... after he left a cigarette butt in a stolen car.

Duncan Fagg, of St Matthews Way, Allhallows, has now been jailed after detectives proved he stole the car and drove dangerously in Medway.

It was DNA gleaned from a cigarette butt left in the stolen white Nissan Micra that proved to be his downfall.

Maidstone Crown Court heard Fagg was captured on CCTV on April 15 last year when the Micra was stolen from a car park in West Street, Gravesend.

Nearly two weeks later, on April 27, a marked police car spotted the stolen car heading along the A228 towards Hoo.

Fagg led police on a chase, speeding on the wrong side of the road before the car hit an oncoming vehicle, lost control and ended up on its side.

Undeterred, Fagg sped off towards Higham.

Moments later a witness said he heard a bang and saw the Micra facing the wrong direction.

They saw Fagg - who was on crutches at the time - head off along Crutches Lane in Higham on foot.

Fagg was quickly arrested by police walking across a farm on Gravesend Road.

DNA was obtained from a smoked tobacco roll-up found in the stolen car.

Fagg pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and theft of motor vehicle.

He was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment and disqualified from driving for three years.

"Fagg embarked on a reckless campaign to do everything he could to avoid capture. He drove dangerously, often on the wrong side of the road and also overtook other motorists on roundabouts..." - DC Roger Harris

Investigating officer, DC Roger Harris of Kent Police, said: "After failing to stop for police when given every opportunity to do so, Fagg embarked on a reckless campaign to do everything he could to avoid capture.

"He drove dangerously, often on the wrong side of the road and also overtook other motorists on roundabouts, which tells me he gave absolutely no consideration to other road users.

"But for the quick-thinking of one motorist who was forced to move to the side of the road to avoid the speeding stolen vehicle, this could have been a more serious incident with severe consequences.

"After catching up with him shortly after, we were able to use forensic techniques to match a roll-up that Fagg had been smoking in the stolen Micra with his DNA to prove he had been in the car."