A WANTED man who did a U-turn at speed on a dual carriageway in Swindon and tried to evade police is back behind bars.

Disqualified driver, Michael Cook, had been on early release but was wanted on recall for house burglaries when police spotted him with a woman and driving an uninsured car

As well as ignoring a no u-turn sign he drove the wrong way down a hotel slip road as he tried to get away from officers before crashing.

Rob Welling, prosecuting, told the court how the incident happened on Marlborough Road, between Coate Water and the hospital, just after 11.30pm on Sunday April 8.

A policeman on patrol saw the Vauxhall Astra perform a 'U-turn at speed in disregard of a no u-turn sign,' he said, causing another driver to take evasive action.

When the officer put on his lights and siren the car sped away, though he never went over the 50mph limit.

"He left the wrong way on to a slip road behind the Texaco petrol station then behind the Holiday Inn. The slip road is used by vehicles exiting the Holiday Inn," he said.

The car went at about 50mph on the 20mph road when the driver lost control and collided with a metal post and wooden fence.

Mr Welling said the driver then leapt from the vehicle, leaving the woman behind, only to be caught by the pursuing officer after a short chase.

After being arrested he lied about who he was, his identity only being established by his fingerprints, and claimed someone else was driving who had run off.

Cook, of Whitehead Street, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and without insurance.

The court heard he had 57 previous convictions and was jailed for just under two years and five months in December 2016 as a three strike burglar.

Rob Ross, defending, said the probation service felt that because of his chaotic lifestyle they could not offer him a sentence in the community.

The bad driving was only for a distance of a quarter to half a mile and while he caused another motorist some inconvenience, that was all, he said.

Over many years he said he had come out of prison without anywhere to go so it was important he put down some roots after the latest sentence.

Passing sentence Judge Robert Pawson said "You are 22 years of age, you have got a bad record.

"In April of this years at shortly before midnight you did a u-turn on the dual carriageway: I know exactly where it is. You caused another vehicle to take evasive action. Not particularly serious.

"You then drove the wrong way up a slip road going 50mph in a 20mph limit and then had a collision.

"You had a passenger and gave a false name. You are only 22 but by the time you get to 22 age is beginning to wear out as some sort of explanation."

He jailed him for ten months and banned him from the road for 23 months and until he passes an extended test.