A SUTTON VENY man who continued dealing heroin and crack cocaine after being arrested has been jailed.

Jack Pearce was on bail after being arrested in November 2015 having again been caught peddling his wares in Frome.

But when police went to see him again in April last year they found he was back at it.

And just days after admitting the offences in court he led police on a chase when they spotted him in his car.

The 36-year-old drove along a pavement and then repeatedly rammed a patrol car, preventing it from continuing the chase.

Michael Butt, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how Pearce was first arrested after being spotted close to his girlfriend's home in Frome in November 2015.

Officers saw what appeared to be a drug deal taking place, and when they moved in they stopped him trying to swallow what turned out to be wraps of drugs.

At the flat of Sarah Coates, 40, they found more than £4,000 worth of heroin and crack cocaine as well as in excess of £12,000 in cash.

He was released on bail after giving a 'no comment' interview and police went to see him again in April last year.

When they got to the premises they found almost £3,000 worth of hard drugs as well as hundreds of pounds in cash.

In September last year he appeared before a judge and admitted the drugs offences and was released on bail.

But a couple of days later he was spotted by police who were in an unmarked car in Odd Down, Bath, shortly before 6pm.

When they tried to pull him over he stopped, then drove along the pavement inside parked cars, returning to the road at a junction.

After pulling into a cul-de-sac he repeatedly reversed into the police car, which had blue lights and sirens on, causing so much damage officers had to give up the chase.

Pearce, of Deverill Road, Sutton Veny, admitted four counts of possessing drugs with intent to supply and dangerous driving.

Coates, formerly of Frome but now living at the same address, admitted two counts of allowing her premises to be used for the supply or attempted supply of drugs.

The court heard that Pearce had a long list of previous convictions including drug dealing in 1999 and in 2007 and 2008, when he got three years.

In 2007 he had fled the country to get clean after being caught with more than a kilogram of cannabis in his van on the A350.

Then a year later he was jailed after being caught with thousands of pounds worth of heroin crack and cannabis in Trowbridge’s Wesley Road car park.

He also stole lead from the roof of the Avon Rubber factory and jumped in the river in Bradford on Avon to try and escape capture.

Simon Goodman, for Pearce, said his client had been forced back into dealing by people he owed money to after his earlier arrests.

He said the driving took place when he panicked and tried to get away from the police.

David Maunder, for Coates, said she had not been in trouble with the police and had a number of medical issues as well as heroin addiction.

Jailing Pearce for four years and 10 months, Recorder Nicholas Atkinson QC said: "Of course you have appeared before the courts before which is an aggravating feature in relation to drugs."

He also banned him from the road for four years and until he passed an extended test for what he called 'wicked driving'.

Coates was put on a 12 month jail term suspended for two years and told to do 25 days rehabilitation activity requirement.