A DRIVER who nearly ran over a pedestrian when he mounted the kerb under the influence of prescription drugs has been spared jail.

Endad Rahman was behind the wheel of a VW Golf with only one headlight when he sped through Pinehurst and Gorse Hill.

And the 35-year-old, who was on early release from prison for drug dealing, only stopped when he ploughed into a garden wall in Tydeman Street, knocking it down.

But after hearing he was bipolar and had new medication, a judge imposed a suspended sentence.

Claire Marlow, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that Wayne Green was standing outside his house on the evening of Saturday November 9 last year.

He saw what he thought was a motorcycle weaving across the road, but as it got near he realised it was a car with only one light working and no number plate.

It mounted the pavement straight towards him, driving at 30 to 40mph in a 20mph zone, said Miss Marlow.

It passed within one to two feet of Mr Green. He was very shaken and contacted the police.

While officers were investigating another motorist stopped beside them saying he had seen a Volkwagen Golf hit a parked car in Limes Avenue.

The car then ploughed into a wall outside a house in Tydeman Street and the householder saw a woman passenger get out saying, “I’ll get it repaired tomorrow,” referring to the wall, Miss Marlow said.

The driver said he was not drunk but bipolar, with new medication which was giving him dizzy spells.

When he was taken to the police station he refused to provide a sample of breath but prosecutors decided not to proceed with that matter.

Rahman, formerly of Swindon but living in Rochdale, Lancashire, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving.

Marcus Davey, defending, said it was a mix-up with Rahman’s medication rather than a deliberate flouting of the law. The passenger was partner Kirsty Doole, of Swindon, who is 14 weeks pregnant with his second child, he said.

“There is a danger this man could become institutionalised,” he said. “This man in the past has supplied drugs but has nothing for driving. The best way to ensure there is no relapse is through stability.

Recorder Harry Martineau said: “Whether you had been prescribed these drugs or not... you had absolutely no business to put yourself at the wheel of a car that night.”

He imposed a 12-week jail term suspended for 18 months with 80 hours of unpaid work, with a driving ban for a year or until he passes an extended test.