A 35-year-old man from Ballymena has been given a suspended prison sentence after he drove dangerously while trying to evade police and was found in possession of cannabis.

Robert Ian Stevenson, of Lewis Park, appeared at Ballymena Magistrates' Court on Thursday. He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, absence of L plates, being an unaccompanied learner driver, and possession of cannabis.

The incident took place on February 28 at a police checkpoint on Crebilly Road in Ballymena. Stevenson turned his Audi in the opposite direction in an attempt to avoid the checkpoint, according to the prosecution.

Police activated blue lights and sirens and signalled for him to stop. When he stopped at a red light at Larne Road Link, a police vehicle moved in front of his car. Stevenson reversed and drove around the police vehicle at speed, going through the red light. He narrowly missed another motorist and swerved between lanes before police boxed him in. He then made a final attempt to drive off and collided with the front of the police vehicle, causing minor damage.

After he was removed from the vehicle, officers found cannabis in his pocket. His defence barrister said Stevenson had panicked and was ashamed of his behaviour, and that nobody was hurt.

Deputy District Judge Mark Hamill sentenced Stevenson to four months in prison, suspended for three years. He was also banned from driving for 20 months and fined £305.

The judge told Stevenson he could not put other people in danger and that he should consider himself lucky not to be facing a prison sentence of four or five years if he had hurt anybody.