A teenager who urged his mate to drive off with a policeman hanging out of the car has walked free from court.

But Richard Malcolm Pilcher, 19, will spend 12 hours out of every 24 confined to his home for the next six months and will spend much of his free time undergoing intensive rehabilitation as he becomes one of the first people in York to undergo a new type of community punishment.

The city's crown court heard how on June 16, he was a rear seat passenger in a Citroen driven dangerously by Foster Allan, then 15, dangerously in a police chase through Heslington along Low Lane and into a field.

Graham Reeds, prosecuting, said that police managed to ram the Citroen, and PC Julian Pearson smashed the driver's window and reached inside to grab the car keys.

But when half of his body was inside the car, Pilcher yelled and screamed at Allan to drive on, which he did.

PC Pearson feared he would be seriously injured or worse as he was dragged along, half-in, half-out of the car until one leg hit the front wheel and he fell to the ground, damaging his knee and banging his head.

Pilcher, of Tang Hall, York, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting Allan to assault a police officer with intent to resist arrest. He was ordered to do 100 hours' community punishment, a six-month curfew from 7pm to 7am daily and a 12-month community rehabilitation order including an intensive control and change programme. He is believed to be one of the first in York to undergo the programme which has been running elsewhere in the country for some time and which makes him do 18 hours a week rehabilitation work as directed by probation officers.

Allan, of Melrosegate, Tang Hall, admitted dangerous driving, assaulting a police officer with intent to resist arrest and driving while disqualified and was given a 18-month detention and training order at an earlier hearing.

The Honorary Recorder of York, Judge Paul Hoffman, told Pilcher: "Your part in this offence was not comparable to that of the driver. I think you are a bit player here."

Pilcher's barrister Nicholas Barker said his mental age was less than his client's physical age and he probably did not understand all the consequences of what was happening when he committed the offence. Pilcher had been "statemented" when at school as a child with special needs in education.

Updated: 10:32 Tuesday, December 07, 2004