A man suffering alcohol problems was sent to prison for 22 weeks for driving while disqualified, after magistrates heard he had five previous convictions for the same offence.

Michael Paul Brennan, 38, was driving in Corsham to collect medicine from his wife's house for his diabetes on September 14, magistrates heard.

Brennan, of Green Park House in Bath, had previously pleaded not guilty to the charge as well as a second charge of driving without insurance, at a hearing on November 14.

He changed both pleas to guilty when he appeared before Chippenham magistrates on Tuesday.

Nicola Wootton, prosecuting, told the court a police officer spotted Brennan driving in Leafield Way and Pockeredge Road in a silver Ford Escort on September 14.

The police officer identified Brennan, who was driving with two passengers in the car. She turned the police car around to follow Brennan, who pulled the car over into a parking space, jumped out of the car and ran to a house in Pockeredge.

Later the police officer called at the house to arrest him but Brennan, who was disqualified from driving until 2007, was not there. He was finally caught and arrested on November 14.

Em Wrench, defending, said Brennan had five previous convictions for driving while disqualified and had received a prison sentence in 2003.

Mrs Wrench said Brennan was married but spent a lot of time apart from his wife because of his drinking problems, living in sheltered accommodation in Bath.

On this occasion Brennan had left medication for his diabetes at his wife's house, Mrs Wrench said, and drove to Corsham to pick it up.

"He suffers badly from drink problems, as well as diabetes, and he has a damaged hand as a result of an accident," she said.

"He has been unemployed since 1997 and receiving incapacity benefit. Until he addresses the drinking problems there is unlikely to be any progress."

Magistrates sent Brennan to prison for 22 weeks and imposed a driving ban to run concurrently with his previous ban, until June 7, 2007.