Naseem Hamed, one of Britain's most celebrated boxers, has been jailed for 15 months for causing a horrific crash as he showed off his £320,000 sports car.

The former WBA world featherweight champion smashed head-on at 90mph into a VW Golf on May 2 last year, wrecking his own Mercedes McLaren and leaving the other driver with fractures to every major bone in his body.

In what Judge Alan Goldsack told Sheffield Crown Court was an aggravating factor, the former featherweight champion, who escaped unscathed, then left the scene.

Hamed, who has four previous offences for speeding and was once given a three-month disqualification, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving.

The court heard how he was anxious to impress a businessman Asif Ayub, 46. Both had an interest in cars and Hamed was showing what his could do. They set off for open country to avoid Bank Holiday traffic.

Hamed, 32, took the "suicidal" decision to overtake the car in front on the brow of a hill road through the Peak District, near his Sheffield home, because it was repeatedly braking.

He said he believed that the driver of the Ford Mondeo had recognised him and was slowing down to glimpse him in his rear-view mirror.

He said that he was not fully aware of the power of his high-powered sports car, registration NAS 1, as he crossed the solid white line at speed. The oncoming Golf was forced backwards by the impact.

Anthony Burgin, 38, the driver of the Golf, was in court to watch as Hamed was jailed. His injuries are still clearly visible: his right arm is held in place by a frame and the court heard that there are numerous pins and plates holding his shattered limbs together.

Jailing Hamed, the judge said that it was a blatantly dangerous manoeuvre at hugely excessive speed. He said he had to balance Hamed's "persistent" disregard for the speeding laws and the dreadful consequences for his victims against his previous good character.

He said: "I have no doubt the only possible sentence here is an immediate custodial sentence. It is far too serious for anything else. Having performed that balancing exercise, there will be a prison sentence of 15-months."

The judge said: "You set off towards open country. It was a public holiday and the road was quite busy. You almost immediately came behind two or three other cars, perhaps doing less than 60mph.

"Perhaps because you were trying to impress your passenger and show him what your car was capable of, you did not want to be held up. So you overtook those cars. You did so by going on to the wrong side of the road, the other side of the white line.

"You did so at huge speed. Your speed at the point of impact is assessed at not less than 90mph. As you approached the brow of a hill you could not see what was coming and the near inevitable happened. Your car was in virtually head-on collision with a car driven by Mr Anthony Burgin, with his wife Clare as a passenger."

The judge added: "You could easily have killed Mr Burgin."

After the hearing, a spokeswoman for the couple said that they were content with the sentence. "This case is not about celebrity, it's about extremely powerful motor cars being driven dangerously," she said.

Mr Burgin's girlfriend Claire told the court that their lives had been wrecked by the crash and the trauma it caused. She said: "Our good lives together have been cruelly taken away."

Hamed showed no emotion as he was jailed. He left the dock with two security guards. Members of his family, who were sitting in the packed public gallery, broke down in tears.

The self-styled 'Prince' Naseem was made 15 defences of the WBO featherweight title before losing his unbeaten record to Marco Antonio Barrera in his 37th fight.

Known for his flamboyant boxing style and huge self-confidence, with his trademark leopardskin shorts and handsprings in the ring, Hamed fought only once more when, in May 2002, he was booed out of the ring after winning a close points decision over Manuel Calvo, of Spain, in London.

In November, 2005, he suggested he would like to make a comeback after being offered a deal by an American television company. Today, as he was led to the cells, that ambition was placed on hold.

Explore Law

• Columnists

• Law Panel

• Law Reports

• Student Law

Times Recommends

• BGC 'set aside £40m to lure Tullett brokers'
• Legal aid review to ensure value
• Fears as 21 magistrates' courts face closure