A MOTORIST who drove dangerously twice within 10 days has been jailed for 18 months and banned from the road for two years.

In the first incident, a police officer had to leap out of the way as Jason Murray, who only has a provisional licence, sped off.

Just over a week later, when officers spotted the 20-year-old behind the wheel in the town centre, he again raced off leading police on a chase.

Tessa Hingston, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court Murray’s then girlfriend had called police on Saturday January 21 as the couple argued.

When they arrived at the address in Penhill the defendant was outside in a car and two of the officers in full uniform and wearing high visibility jackets went to speak to him.

As they approached he reversed at speed, mounting the kerb, and caused one of the officers to jump out of the way.

The police launched an appeal to catch Murray, and officers in a patrol car saw him driving on Tuesday, January 31.

They pulled in front of his vehicle but he squeezed round and drove off, going the wrong way past a keep left bollard.

As the officers gave chase, he revved the engine so hard the wheel spun as he drove off.

Doing 50mph in a 30mph zone, he drove the wrong way up Wellington Street, a one-way street, and through red traffic lights. His car mounted the kerb near the Great Western pub, smashing through bollards for road works and causing a pedestrian to jump out of the way.

After turning right into Corporation Street he went straight across the junction with Manchester Road on a red light as other motorists swerved and braked to avoid him.

He told police he had been taking cocaine and smoking cannabis at the time.

Murray, of Dryden Street, pleaded guilty to two counts of dangerous driving.

Rob Ross, defending, said his client had been in custody for more than two months on remand and was now clean of drugs. He said he had suffered from depression for a long time after an incident in a young offenders’ institution when he was 15. Following his release from that sentence he said he started using drugs to block out the memory but in recent times had started to settle down with his childhood sweetheart.

But that relationship broke down at the time of the first offence and he said something stupid during the argument.

Jailing him Judge Euan Ambrose said: “These offences are so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence can be justified in this case.”