A serial offender was knocked down by a police car as he fled the scene of a Forfar chase has been jailed for nine months.
Paul Hosie had terrorised another driver by closing to within a foot of his car through Forfar before then failing to stop for a marked police car.
The pursuit ended when the 25-year-old rammed his uninsured Citroen Saxo into a wall.
Hosie attempted to make off and ran straight into the path of a patrol car involved in the chase.
At Forfar Sheriff Court on Thursday, Hosie, of Glenclova Terrace, Forfar, appeared for sentence after earlier admitting driving dangerously in various Forfar streets on January 27, while disqualified and without insurance.
He also pleaded guilty to failing to stop, driving while unfit through drink or drugs and possessing diazepam.
Fiscal depute Hannah Kennedy said the incident happened around 11.25pm when a motorist became aware of a car coming up sharply behind him in the town, so close that he could not see the lights of the vehicle.
“He estimated that the car was about a foot away from his rear bumper, and was swerving about the carriageway,” said Ms Kennedy.
“Police in a marked patrol vehicle saw the accused and decided to stop him but he ignored them and sped away, swerving wildly about the road.
“The officers then came upon the accused’s vehicle which had hit a wall head on.
“He put his hands up, but he then runs away from the officers and they have to chase him but he is then struck by a marked police vehicle after running out into the road.”
The fiscal said Hosie was not badly hurt, but his lawyer told the court it was the accused’s position he had suffered a hairline fracture to his pelvis in the collision.
Solicitor Bob Bruce said Hosie had been in a pub and suspected his drink had been spiked.
“He is a person that has never been involved in drugs and he has no explanation for how this has happened, it is all a blank for him,” said Mr Bruce.
Sheriff Kevin Veal said, “He is only 25 but there are already 38 previous convictions.
“Those include at least one for dangerous driving and there are five convictions for driving whilst disqualified. This driving merits immediate custody.”
He also banned Hosie for seven years and ordered him to sit an extended test after that period.