A COCAINE-fuelled motorist drove at speeds of up to 50mph through a Hampshire city centre in a bid to evade arrest.

Jamie Batting from Southampton ran over a police officer’s foot and sped through narrow city centre in a powerful car as he tried to avoid capture.

Now the 37-year-old from Providence Park has been jailed for 18 months and is banned from driving for three years.

Winchester Crown Court heard how Batting pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, assault with intent to resist arrest by police and driving with excess alcohol and drugs.

He was first spotted by police driving his partner's Land Rover at North Walls in Winchester at double the 20mph speed limit, the court was told.

He was pulled over and breathalysed by PC Warren Macklin in Park Avenue and arrested.

As the officer was carrying out the arrest he was distracted by a woman who was suffering an epileptic fit.

As he tried to help her Batting saw his opportunity to escape.

Seizing his chance, the court heard how Batting turned his car around and told the officer “You’re not having me.”

PC Macklin desperately tried to stop Batting from escaping by putting his hand in the car to grab the ignition keys as Batting was driving away.

Prosecuting Dawn Hyland said Batting steered into PC Macklin to shake him off and drove over his foot before speeding down North Walls and into the city centre.

The court was shown footage of Batting driving at high speeds through the central streets of Winchester.

The vehicle was seen speeding past King Alfred's statue before then ‘swerving’ and screeching as Batting drove up the High Street before he turned into Market Street, The Square and went the wrong way down Great Minster Street.

Witnesses Jimmy and Billy Hobbs who were walking along the High Street and later helped police find the vehicle after seeing it speed down the High Street.

They described him as "driving like a nutter." said they estimated he was doing 50mph, and said they witnessed Batting struggle to keep control of the vehicle and how white smoke was coming coming from the tyres.

Jimmy Hobbs said in a statement: "The car accelerated towards us and the driver appeared to struggle to keep his car in a straight line and swerved from side to side."

"I would guess he was doing about 50mph, and there were a number of people sat on the High Street at the time."

He added that he and his brother feared the car would hit them.

The pair saw the car turn into The Square and they then followed it to its eventual stop outside the Old Vine Pub in Great Minster Street, thanks to a trail of diesel.

After finding the car they alerted a nearby police officer.

The court heard that the vehicle had hit a wall before it came to a stop.

Batting was later found hiding in an alleyway.

He was three times the limit for driving under the influence of cocaine, and was 30 times over the limit for another psychoactive drug, and was also marginally over the drink driving limit.

In a victim statement PC Macklin said:"I feel the actions of the driver of the vehicle were reckless and dangerous."

The statement added that had it not been for his reinforced boots he would have suffered a serious foot injury.

In mitigation Batting's solicitor Claire Wiggett told the court he suffers from anxiety and needs rehabilitation for drug problems.

She said he was selected Sandhurst Military Academy but instead chose to play Rugby for Leicester Tigers, where a shoulder injury curtailed his career.

Batting then worked in private security in war-torn countries which worsened his anxiety when he returned.

Sentencing Batting, Assistant Judge Advocate General Hill also ordered he pay £500 in compensation to PC Macklin.