Pensioner gets his third dangerous driving conviction within ten years

A PENSIONER with two dangerous driving convictions to his name notched up his third inside ten years when he drove recklessly on a country road outside Bristol.

Banned driver Leslie Jarvis, 65, dangerously overtook a line of cars despite the fact an articulated lorry was heading towards him on a narrow section of the A37 Wells Road near Pensford.

When police caught up with the motorist in a white Escort van, Jarvis rammed his vehicle into a parked police car in an attempt to get away.

Bristol Crown Court was told an officer was forced to smash Jarvis' front driver's side window with a baton before pulling his keys out of the ignition and wrestling him to the ground.

Jarvis, of St Catherine's Court, Bedminster, admitted dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and failing to surrender to court for an earlier hearing.

Nadeem Aullybocus, prosecuting, said Jarvis had earlier been warned he could only get behind the wheel if he had passed an extended driving retest. But he told the court officers in a marked police car began following Jarvis driving a van at the junction of the A37 and the B3130 at 4.40pm on April 5.

Mr Aullybocus said the van overtook another vehicle over a solid white line before overtaking several vehicles as an articulated lorry was heading in the opposite direction on a narrow section of road.

The court was told Jarvis' sole passenger got out of the vehicle "as quick as he could" before Jarvis carried on down a hill "at some speed" towards Pensford.

Jarvis tried to negotiate his way through the traffic and into a side road in an attempt to get away from the police, the court heard, before he was forced to stop.

When the police car parked behind the van and an officer had got out to speak to him, Jarvis reversed his vehicle into the police car.

Mr Aullybocus said: "Having rammed it, he carried on trying to accelerate, trying to push the vehicle out of the way to get out."

He told the court there were pedestrians in the area who could have been hit by one of the cars.

Jarvis, who has 13 convictions for 44 offences, made no comment when he was interviewed about his driving.

Darren Burleigh, defending, said: "What's clear is that in the recent past, he has begun to display bizarre behaviour by doing things he hasn't done for years."

Mr Burleigh said his client suffered with depression and was set to be assessed by mental health specialists.

Recorder James Watson QC said Jarvis had an "apparent disregard" for the driving bans he had previously been given.

The case was adjourned to allow Jarvis to receive a mental health assessment.

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