A KINGSWINFORD man who tried to push a police officer into a canal when he fled on foot after crashing into a cop car during a high speed pursuit has avoided jail.

The officer managed to avoid going into the water after giving 23-year-old Jacob Khan a “whack” - Edward Soulsby, prosecuting, told Wolverhampton Crown Court.

He said patrolling police officers tried to stop the car in the Dudley area but Khan, who was behind the wheel, accelerated away.

At one stage Khan lost control of his car, the vehicle spun 180 degrees and he ended up facing the chasing car, Mr Soulsby told the court.

It was then he drove straight at the police car and he hit the vehicle corner to corner before being chased again and after abandoning the car he tried to getaway on foot.

Khan, of Himley View, admitted driving dangerously and without insurance or a licence and he was given a six-month jail term suspended for a year.

He was further ordered to carry out 100 hours unpaid work in the community, placed on supervision for a year, disqualified from driving for two years and ordered to pay £308 costs Christopher O’Gorman, defending, said Khan’s actions had been completely out of character, adding: “He has never behaved anything like this before.”

Thankfully it was a short chase, he added, and Khan now realised he had a criminal record which clearly affect his future chances of employment.

Judge Amjad Nawaz told Khan: “You should simply have stopped when you saw the police officers. "You have come very close to going to prison.”