A Suffolk taxi driver who was involved in a police chase after taking drugs has walked free from court after a judge decided not to send him straight to prison.

Daryl Tyler was stopped by police in St Andrew’s Street In Bury St Edmunds and asked to provide a specimen of saliva for a drug test, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

There was a delay while specialist equipment was brought from the local police station and while waiting Tyler had become “irate” and swore at the police officer.

Hugh Vass, prosecuting, said Tyler told the officer he wasn’t under arrest and should be allowed to leave and the officer explained he couldn’t drive if it was suspected that he was under the influence of drugs.

Tyler had then turned on the ignition of his silver Honda Accord and drove off, almost making contact with the officer, who immediately got back into his car and followed Tyler with his siren and blue lights activated.

During the next few minutes Tyler had driven at 50mph in a 30mph speed limit and had overtaken other vehicles “wholly inappropriately”, causing several oncoming vehicles to brake heavily to avoid a collision, said Mr Vass.

Tyler eventually came to a stop and was arrested after police used PAVA spray.

The court heard the level of a bi-product of cocaine in his body was above the specified limit.

Tyler, 52, of Queensway, Haverhill, admitted dangerous driving and driving with a controlled drug above the specified limit on July 1 last year.

He was given a 10 month prison sentence suspended for two years and ordered to do 100 hours unpaid work in the community and a 15 day rehabilitation order.

He was also banned from driving for 18 months.

Sentencing him, Judge Rupert Overbury said the only reason he was suspending the sentence was because Tyler’s wife had just come out of hospital after undergoing major surgery and she and their children needed his support.

He said it was an “appalling” state of affairs that, as a taxi driver, Tyler had driven while the amount of controlled drugs in his system was above the specified limit.

Roger Thomson, representing Tyler, said his client had lost his job as a taxi driver and regretted committing the offences.