A DRUG dealer who rammed a patrol car as he tried to escape the police during a chase through Newport and Cardiff has been jailed.

Disqualified driver Joshua Southwell, 21, from Cwmbran, burst into tears when he was shown footage of the pursuit, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

He was first spotted with a false front number plate when he was at the wheel of a Volkswagen Passat on Newport’s Western Avenue.

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Bethan Evans, prosecuting, said: “Also in the vehicle was a female and the defendant said he panicked when he saw the police and looked away and tried to conceal his face and headed off towards Bassaleg Road.

“The officer flashed his blue lights and headlights, but the defendant did not stop.”

She added: “The defendant narrowly avoided colliding with an oncoming vehicle and cars and lorries were forced to swerve out of the way.

“He drove past Bassaleg School when there were children outside at the time and he took the Tredegar Arms roundabout when he was on the wrong side of the road.”

Southwell then travelled through country roads that took him into the South Wales Police force area of Old St Mellons in Cardiff.

Another police car joined the chase and he was “wedged” between the two after crashing into both of them in Michaelston-y-Fedw after driving back over the border into Newport.

Miss Evans said officers found cannabis in the car and crushed up tablets which the defendant said he planned to sell as cocaine.

Southwell, of Victoria Street, Old Cwmbran, pleaded guilty to possessing a class B drug with intent to supply, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and fraud.

The offences were committed on February 7.

James Evans, mitigating, said his client had admitted the offences at the earliest opportunity.

He added: “He burst into tears when he was shown the footage. He has a daughter and he is bitterly ashamed that he won’t be able to assist in her development for a period of time.”

The judge, Recorder David Elias QC told Southwell: “You collided with one police car as it tried to head you off and reversed into the second as you tried to get away.

“The police cars pincered you in effect, meaning you couldn’t escape.

“This was a persistent attempt to escape the police. You drove in a built-up area at 50mph in a 20mph zone.

“You drove past a school while there were children outside.

“Mercifully, there was no injury to anyone.”

He jailed the defendant for 20 months and banned him from driving for three years and 10 months.

Southwell will have to sit an extended retest and pay a victim surcharge upon his release from prison.