A drink-driver who led police on a 30-minute chase, in which he rammed their patrol vehicle three times with his pick-up truck, has been jailed for 14 months.

A judge told David Steady, who only held a provisional driving licence, and had to be repeatedly struck with a baton and tasered, he had no hesitation in sending him to prison.

Judge Philip Statman said: “This involved officers putting their lives at risk in order to try and prevent you from committing crime of a driving nature and, at the same time, innocent members of the community were put at risk.”

Steady, 52, of Vincent Gardens, Sheerness, admitted dangerous driving, driving with excess alcohol, criminal damage, assaulting police, driving without a licence and without insurance on May 4.

He also admitted failing to surrender to bail at a magistrates’ court in July.

The court heard police in a 4x4 vehicle saw Steady’s grey Ford Transit pick-up near Little Groves Leisure Park in Leysdown, just before 4.30pm on the May Day bank holiday after receiving a tip-off the driver had been drinking.

After following it along Lower Road, the officers illuminated their blue lights and Steady pulled into a bus stop.

However, prosecutor Christina Rowberry said as the police driver got out to speak to Steady, he drove off.

A pursuit around Minster village ensued in which Steady drove at 50mph in residential areas, narrowly missing parked vehicles.

An oncoming tractor was also forced to stop to avoid a collision and Steady failed to give way at road junctions and jumped a set of red lights.

"You had scant regard to other road users and when it was all over and you simply couldn’t get away, even then it wasn’t sufficient for you. You wouldn’t come quietly" - Judge Philip Statman

Miss Rowberry told the court he then headed along Halfway Road, past Sheerness Holiday Park and into Vincent Gardens before stopping at the junction with First Avenue.

She said: “His reverse lights came on and one of the officers shouted ‘He is going to ram us’, and that is what he did.

“The ramming was at about 15mph and the officer driving felt the force of impact.”

Steady drove off into First Avenue, still being chased, and into Victoria Street, Shrubsole Avenue, Vincent Gardens, High Street, back into Victoria Street and to the junction with Second Avenue.

It was here he rammed the police vehicle for a second time, at a higher speed, apparently trying to disable it.

Steady was followed into Second Avenue and then South View Gardens.

However, confronted by a dead-end, Steady, with a grinding of gears, reversed and rammed the 4x4 for a third time, leaving his tailgate underneath its wheel arch.

Even then he refused to get out and the officers used a baton to first smash the windscreen and then to strike Steady four times across his back and leg.

The court heard when Steady eventually got out, he was aggressive to the officers.

“He was shouting ‘Come on then, fight me’ with his fists clenched,” said Miss Rowberry.

“He was ordered onto the ground and warned he would be tasered. But he continued towards the officers.

"Steady's driving was remarkably aggressive, reckless and irresponsible. He injured two police officers and badly damaged a police vehicle" - PC Daniel Griffin

“He was warned twice more and then the taser was used and he ended up on the ground, where he was handcuffed.”

The court heard when Steady, who suffers from type 2 diabetes, calmed down, he said: “I saw you at the roundabout and knew I had been grassed up. I knew then I wasn’t going to stop.”

He later gave a positive alcohol reading of 91 milligrams in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80.

Miss Rowberry said Steady was charged with assaulting police as one of the officers suffered cuts to his wrist when he used the baton to smash the windscreen.

He had a previous conviction for failing to provide a specimen in 2006, for which he was banned from the road for 18 months.

He was given a three-year ban, which will start on his release, and ordered to take an extended driving test.

David Ross, defending, handed in a five-page letter to the judge from Steady’s wife, as well as medical documents regarding mental health problems that included anxiety and depression.

Mr Ross said Steady had started drinking in his teens and his parents were heavy drinkers.

He left school with no qualifications and limited literacy and had since worked in the building or scrap trade. However, he became unemployed after a workplace injury in 2006.

“He became very depressed and began to drink in ever greater amounts,” added Mr Ross.

Earlier in the hearing, Judge Statman remarked that prisons should not be “dumping grounds” for those with mental illnesses.

But on passing sentence he added that Steady’s problems were exacerbated by his drinking, and that his driving that day well and truly crossed the custody threshold.

“You drove over a completely sustained period in what was a very dangerous manner,” said the judge.

“You had scant regard to other road users and when it was all over and you simply couldn’t get away, even then it wasn’t sufficient for you. You wouldn’t come quietly.”

PC Daniel Griffin said after the case: “Steady’s driving was remarkably aggressive, reckless and irresponsible.

“He injured two police officers and badly damaged a police vehicle. His driving also put the public in significant danger and many vehicles had to stop for him.

"He almost hit a tractor. He drove across a pavement at one point, putting pedestrians at serious risk.

“I would also like to praise the officers for the courage they showed in tackling this man.”

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