A DRINK-DRIVER from Bromsgrove, who crashed his car into a school crossing post during a police chase, has been jailed and banned from the road for more than five years.

Gavin Patton, 37, of Hanbury Road, Stoke Prior, had thrown an object at a woman’s door earlier on August 7, smashing the glass, and drove off with his wheels spinning when police arrived.

Patton admitted dangerous driving, damaging property, driving while disqualified and having no insurance.

He also admitted a Bail Act offence and driving with 67 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath – nearly twice the legal limit.

Worcester Crown Court heard Patton had 31 previous convictions for a total of 85 previous offences, including a similar incident of dangerous driving.

Timothy Hills, prosecuting, said there had been a row between Patton and Holly Bradley in Byron Way, Catshill, and neighbours called police after they started throwing things at each other.

Patton threw something at Ms Bradley’s front door, causing £136 worth of damage.

He then got into his Mazda car and, when he saw police, accelerated and sped off.

He drove into The Dock, a nearby cul de sac with cars parked on both sides, and mounted the pavement, where he collided with a post bearing a school crossing sign.

The crash wrecked the car’s front suspension but he carried on driving, the court heard.

Mr Hills added that the police, who had pursued Patton for about half a mile, eventually arrested him on foot at 1.15am.

Patton later told officers his driving was not dangerous because nobody was around in the early hours.

But Judge Andrew Lockhart QC said: “If a child or anyone walked out they would have been killed by your vehicle.

“This was a very dangerous act of driving at a time when you were impaired by drink.”

The judge also ordered that Patton’s car be seized.

Jason Aris, defending, said his client apologised for his “appalling piece of driving behaviour”.

He added that Patton’s partner, already a mother-of-two, was pregnant with his child.

Patton also had a 14-year-old son, who had told him he was “extremely disappointed” and “ashamed” of him, said Mr Aris.

He was jailed for 15 months and banned from the roads for 68 months.