A banned driver who burgled a house to steal the keys to a BMW convertible before leading police on a high-speed chase which resulted in a horse rider being injured has been jailed for four years and nine months.

Benjamin Quarmby, of Lower Weston, Bradford on Avon, opened the unlocked door of the house in Sandringham Road, Trowbridge, and pinched the keys to the soft top sports car on Friday, September 12.

But the police were soon on the 37-year-old’s tail, as he led them on a chase through the countryside before rolling the car and leaving it in a ditch.

Roxanne Cole, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court on Friday how police were called by the car owner.

Quarmby was spotted in Trowbridge town centre and an officer got out of his car and tried to flag down the BMW 330i, but it was driven towards him at speed mounting the pavement to get past the police vehicle.

Other officers joined the chase through the town centre and at one point Quarmby drove at a marked police car causing it to reverse out of the way.

The car reached speeds of 60mph in town centre residential streets, some with speed humps, before heading towards Southwick.

Other vehicles were forced off the road as the BMW touched 70mph through the village also braking so hard the back of the car lifted off the road.

Quarmby went the wrong way round a number of traffic islands, overtook four cars at 80mph before colliding with an HGV.

The police called off the chase after one of their vehicles slid off the road into a verge, but soon after the BMW rolled over in Farleigh Lane at Rowley Manor.

Miss Cole said a woman out riding her horse heard the car approach at speed before the dull thud of it crashing and saw the driver walk away.

As she called the police he started to run and soon after her horse bolted causing her to be thrown to the road.

He was chased towards Bradford on Avon and was found hiding in a hedgerow in Westwood Road.

Quarmby admitted taking the car without the owner’s consent aggravated by dangerous driving and damage.

The dangerous driving took place in Bythesea Road, Dursley Road, Rutland Crescent, Bradley Road, College Road and Frome Road.

He also admitted burglary, driving while disqualified, and asked for ten other matters to be taken into consideration.

The court heard he had two previous convictions for breaking into houses making him liable for a mandatory three year jail term.

Tony Bignall, defending, said his client had a history of crime and continuing to lock him didn’t appear to be working.

However he conceded he failed on the drug treatment and testing order in 2003 which also failed to stop his offending.

He said Quarmby, who suffered from depression, had told him that he was getting too old for his offending.

Refusing a pass a community order Judge William Hart said: “I have absolutely no confidence it will stop you from offending and I don’t delude myself in thinking prison will. It will be a punishment and keep you out of circulation.”

As well as the jail term he also banned him from the road for three years.