A banned motorist who led police on a high speed chase has walked free from court after a judge heard he had not received help in the community for 17 years.

Drug addict Stephen Jewell raced away from police after they tried to pull him over in the early hours of the morning at the end of an eight month spate of offending.

But after noting the 36-year-old had not had help in the community since 2000, only receiving a jail terms including seven years for robbery, a judge suspended a jail term.

Charles Parry, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how a police patrol spotted a Honda Civic being driven at speed shortly after 1am on Friday February 10.

The officer put on his lights and the car pulled over but as he got out to speak to the driver the car's engine was revved and it raced away.

He said the Civic went down Princes Street across the Whalebridge roundabout on to Corporation Street and then Manchester Road, with the patrol in pursuit.

It went round to Fleming Way, touching 70mph in the 30mph zone, towards the Magic Roundabout and on to Drove Road, at 63mph.

It turned on to Upham Road, then Queens Drive, again at 60mph in a 40mph zone, as it headed towards Drakes Way before turning left in Calvert Road.

The car then double backed on itself and as it headed back on to Queens Drive a police stinger device was deployed.

Despite the tyres losing air the vehicle carried on through the bus gate to Whitbourne Avenue, going thought a red light.

After heading the wrong way round the mini roundabout with Bilborough Drive the car went down Cramore Avenue and Leighton Avenue on to Stanway Close.

It mounted a grass verge and then came to a halt and Jewell, who had been involved in stealing £100 worth of vodka from a shop days earlier, was arrested.

Mr Parry said that in July last year he had stolen a Ford Focus from a neighbour on the pretence that he was interested in buying it.

And the month before he had led police on another high speed chase around Bristol where he did 110mph in a 50mph zone and carried on for miles after a blow out.

Jewell, formerly of Patchway, Bristol, admitted two counts of dangerous driving, failing to stop, two thefts, driving while disqualified, without insurance or a licence.

The court heard he has 66 previous convictions for numerous driving matters as well as robbery, burglary and assaults.

Tony Bignall, defending, said his client was the victim of a stabbing in June last year which 'seems to have sent him haywire'.

But he said before being remanded in custody he was living in Swindon with his girlfriend Pam Lewis who was helping him get off drugs.

She told the court that he had a number of issues including depression, personality disorder, bipolar and paranoia.

Judge Robert Pawson said "Since 2000 he has only been dealt with by way of imprisonment, any number of sentences up to seven years."

Passing sentence he said "There is every chance someone walking home from the pub, a babysitter walking home, could have crossed the road and you could have hit them and killed them. That is the gravity of this."

He imposed a 16 month jail term suspended for 18 months with a drug rehabilitation requirement, 30 days of rehabilitation activity requirement and a thinking skills programme. He also banned him from driving for two years.

He added "If you offend in the next 18 months you will go straight to prison and one of the persons you will most hurt is Pam Lewis."