DRINK driver Johnny Carey led police on an eight-mile high speed chase in his tipper truck has avoided jail because his pregnant wife would have been left with two babies and no family support.

The traveller had already knocked over a wall and lamp post outside a pub before speeding away from pursuing police, Swindon Crown Court was told.

Chris Smyth, prosecuting, said the incident happened just weeks after he was convicted of being drunk in charge of a horse.

He said the landlord at Charrins, in Royal Wootton Bassett, was concerned about the state of Carey and another man when they arrived at the bar on October 26.

When he was outside his pub he spotted two PCSOs and told them he feared the driver of the Transit tipper parked on the verge would be over the limit.

Soon after Carey got in and pulled away, reversing into a wall by the pub then going forward into a lamp post, knocking over both.

Police gave chase as the vehicle was driven away at speed towards Lyneham, going on the wrong side of the road for stretches, doing 60mph in a 40mph zone.

He then reached 80mph in a 60mph area before going through Lyneham towards Goatacre, causing an HGV he overtook to brake sharply.

The tipper went the wrong way round a roundabout then down country lanes in Hilmarton where he jumped out and ran off.

After he was arrested he was abusive and told the officer: “So what, I have done this loads of times before and got away with it.”

Once he was put in the back of a police van he repeatedly kicked out damaging the lens of a camera in the back of the vehicle.

Carey, of Hatch Road, Stratton, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, failing to provide a specimen of breath and two counts of criminal damage.

In September he was fined after he was convicted of two counts of being drunk in charge of a horse in Salisbury.

Thomas Acworth, defending, said that if Carey were jailed then his wife Lucy would be at risk of losing her home.

Giving evidence, the pregnant mother of children aged 17 months and four months said her family, also travellers, objected to her marrying Carey.

As a result she told the court that they would not help her out if her husband was jailed as she chose him over them. She added she worked for her family's business, which imports furniture from Indonesia, but would struggle without Carey.

She said that she could never meet the £895 rent as well as other bills.

Passing sentence Judge Robert Pawson said Carey’s wife had kept him out of prison.

"From what she tells me her parents just might have had a point when they were, to put it mildly, concerned about who their daughter was marrying. But she stood by you Mr Carey.

"She continues to stand by you Mr Carey and it seems to me you deserve one chance, bearing in mind what you would put your infant children through."

He imposed a 12-month jail term suspended for two years with a thinking skills programme, 25 days of rehabilitation and four-month curfew. He was also banned from the road for two years with an extended retest.