A 24-year-old drug-driver who abandoned his car in Ipswich while it was still moving to flee from police has been banned from driving for 12 months.

As Victor Lockett, of Foxhall Fields, East Bergholt, was being Tasered by an officer his Ford Fiesta hit a wooden fence before rolling across Nacton Road, Ipswich magistrates heard.

Police had previously stopped the car on the A12 at the Copdock interchange and had to smash the windows to try to turn off the engine.

However, Lockett drove off going on to the A14 pursued by officers and the police helicopter.

Lockett pleaded guilty at South East Suffolk Magistrates’ Court to drug-driving, failing to stop for police and careless driving.

All the offences occurred on March 23.

Prosecutor Colette Harper said Lockett lives with his mother and is currently in remission from heroin use.

He returned home at 3am on March 23 having been out the night before.

Later in the morning, depressed and struggling to cope, he got into his mother’s Ford Fiesta under the influence of drugs and drove away.

Police were called shortly before 9am.

The Fiesta was seen travelling towards Ipswich and police put their cars’ sirens and lights on in an attempt to stop the vehicle.

It pulled over at the Copdock interchange traffic lights.

Police boxed the Fiesta in. Lockett was in the car and locked all the doors refusing to come out.

An officer smashed the driver’s window and turned off the ignition.

However, Lockett started the engine again and reversed into a police car before driving on to the grass verge and then off along the A14 towards the Orwell Bridge.

The pursuit ended in Hening Avenue, near Ravenswood.

The court heard Lockett tried to get out of the vehicle while it was in motion.

The Fiesta went into a wooden fence, before travelling across Nacton Road before stopping.

Officers chased Lockett and deployed a Taser at his back.

Magistrates heard Lockett said ‘ouch’ but the Taser did not appear to be working properly.

After he was arrested Lockett tested positive for cannabis.

Dave Allan, representing Lockett, said: “It is a rather sorry catalogue of behaviour on the defendant’s part.”

The court was told Lockett had a problem with hard drugs and has addressed the issue, but suffers from the fall-out of that which has also had an effect on his mental health.

Lockett was said to have panicked after being stopped at Copdock.

Mr Allan said: “He accepts what is a bad situation he just makes it so much worse. Having driven off he is not driving in an inappropriate fashion or speed.”

In addition to his driving ban Lockett was ordered to pay a total of £325 in fines and costs.