An Ipswich man is facing a jail sentence after admitting his fourth drink driving offence and being found guilty of dangerous driving.

Edward Van Bishop had been to visit his mother in Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge and drove off when he saw a police officer because he had been drinking, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

When he was arrested after a police car chase he was breathalysed and was found to be over the drink drive limit.

Van Bishop, 24, of Woodbridge Road, Ipswich denied dangerous driving in Cambridge in the early hours of January 20 and was found guilty by a jury by a 10-2 majority verdict.

Deputy Circuit Judge Peter Jacobs issued a warrant for Van Bishop’s arrest after he failed to turn up at court for the final day of his trial and adjourned the case for sentence.

At an earlier hearing Van Bishop admitted drink-driving in relation to the Cambridge incident and his conviction for dangerous driving put him in breach of a 12 week prison sentence suspended for 12 months imposed in June last year for drink driving while he was riding a mobility scooter.

On that occasion the court heard Van Bishop was seen riding a mobility scooter on a path by a police officer in an unmarked car in Woodbridge Road East, Ipswich at around 2am on April 21 last year.

In June last year magistrates banned him from driving for three years after hearing he was more than twice the limit for drinking and driving.

His lawyer told the court that it was a “stupid prank” and that Van Bishop didn’t know it was illegal to ride the mobility scooter, which belonged to a relative, when he was drunk.

The court heard that the dangerous driving in Cambridge happened after a police officer followed Van Bishop’s red Jaguar after seeing him pull out of the entrance to a business park with the wheels spinning and the rear of the car “fish tailing”.

The officer saw Van Bishop overtake a van by driving over a mini roundabout and saw the rear of the car fishtail again as it turned into another road.

Van Bishop had lost control of the car at the junction with another road and ended up sideways in the mouth of the road.

He had then reversed in the direction of the police car forcing the driver to move out of the way.

Van Bishop had then crashed into a parked car before driving into a dead end road and running off.

A breath test after his arrest found he had 61mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath - the legal limit is 35mg.

Giving evidence Van Bishop accepted he had driven carelessly but denied his driving was dangerous.

He said he had wanted to get away from the police officer who was following him because he had been drinking.

He said he had been in Cambridge to visit his mother in Addenbrooke’s hospital.