A banned driver who drove on the pavement to escape police during a lockdown journey has been jailed.

Perry Leo Witty, 28, was making a late night trip to buy cigarettes for his stepdaughter despite being over the drink drive limit and disqualified from driving, York Magistrates Court heard.

Sarah Tyrer, prosecuting, said he tried to drive round two police cars that tried in succession to block his way and crashed into a garden wall on Hull Road, York.

Witty, of Constantine Avenue, Tang Hall, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, drink driving, driving whilst disqualified, driving without insurance and violent behaviour at Fulford Road Police Station.

He was jailed for six months and banned from driving for a further three years.

Ms Tyrer said Witty had been banned from driving for an earlier offence of drink driving three months before his illegal journey on May 24.

Shortly before 1.30am that morning, staff at the BP garage on Lawrence Street alerted police to Witty’s erratic driving of a silver Ford Focus.

As he left the garage, one police car blocked his way, so he drove on the pavement to avoid it.

The second police car went round the first to block Witty’s way again, so Witty drove further on the pavement and crashed into the wall.

A roadside breath test gave a reading more than twice the drink drive limit, said Ms Tyrer.

Witty reacted angrily after he was arrested and had to be restrained. He continued being violent at the police station where officers had to use incapacity spray on him.

When he was breathalysed at the police station at 3.27am, he gave a reading of 67 micrograms in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

For Witty, Nick Darwin said he was a hardworking bricklayer who was rarely out of work.

At 1am on May 24, his stepdaughter had said she wanted some cigarettes, so he decided to drive for five minutes to the garage.

As he pulled out of the service station, a police car pulled onto his side of the carriageway so he went on the pavement to avoid a serious accident.

District judge Adrian Lower said his driving on seeing the police had an “element of panic”.