A Bristol man who attempted to escape a high-speed police pursuit by driving off the Portway into the River Avon has been jailed for 15 months.

Blakes Riches, 23, of Vincent Close, Lawrence Weston, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving. He also pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing cocaine, one of possessing cannabis and one of possessing a bladed article.

John Penny, prosecuting, said the car was initially told to stop in Park Street at 3.15am in the early hours of August 16 last year. At that time the prosecution accept the defendant was not driving but by the time the car was seen on the Portway he was the driver of the vehicle.

He said: "Going along Sea Mills Lane he tried to turn into Trym Cross Road but was going too fast and spun round 180 degrees in the road and ended up facing the police car which had been following him.

"A police officer went to the driver's side of the Corsa and told them him he was under arrest. At that stage with the officer still holding onto the open door. The defendant reversed the car into the a grass area by the road.

"The officer was caught by the door and dragged along for 10 metres before he managed to push himself down underneath the door and the door passed over him. The car drove off and ended up being blocked by trees on the grass area.

"The officer again approached the car and shouted for him to stop but the car reversed backwards into a police car before driving off.

"It headed off down a lane towards the river. The road at that stage is a dead end and is marked as such and has gates which stop people going down it and to protect the railway track.

"The car went through the gates, over the railway track, smashed through another set of gates and over the edge of the river bank. The car ended up upside down in the mud by the river."

"The occupants of the car scrambled over the mud. The passenger was arrested and seemed very shocked, he said 'did you see what he did'. The driver, which was the defendant, hid but was found by a police dog hiding in some bushes. The pursuit was over two miles."

Mr Penny said Riches was found to have a small amount of cocaine on him. He added that the officer suffered a cut and some nasty bruising in the incident.

On September 24, whilst on bail, Riches was searched and found to have six bags of cannabis on him and two grammes of cocaine.

Giles Nelson, defending, said: "There has been serious efforts by this man to sort his life out since these events. In this event it was pressed upon him to take over the driving and he made the disastrous decision to do it."

Recorder Richard Onslow told Riches: "Once you got behind the wheel of that car you drove much too fast and lost control. When a policeman properly and bravely tried to stop you, you put his life at risk by reversing and I have absolutely no doubt you knew he was there. It is a mercy he escaped with only cuts and bruising.

"You must have known what you were doing was extremely serious and extremely dangerous. I would be failing in my duty if I did not punish you as any other dangerous driver."

Riches was jailed for 15 months and banned from driving for 18 months.