A DISGRACED former policeman has been jailed after terrifying his ex by steering her car into oncoming traffic.

Phillip Bailey, of Eastlands, Almondbury, breached his restraining order after getting into Rebecca Kelly’s car.

He then refused to leave and, during an incident that lasted up to two hours, grabbed the steering wheel and drove into the path of other vehicles.

Kirklees magistrates were told that the 44-year-old, kicked out of the West Yorkshire Police force for drink-driving, blamed his offending on his alcohol problem.

The court heard that Bailey breached the court order banning him from contacting Miss Kelly just days after it was made.

On January 10, Bailey was sentenced to a community order for offences of assault, criminal damage and driving drunk.

The victim of the assault on December 31 was Miss Kelly, Bailey’s former partner of three years, who he kicked repeatedly to her head and body.

Bailey attacked her while he was on bail for damaging her Ford Ka after jumping on it.

Magistrates sentenced him as a direct alternative to custody and included the restraining order, which also banned Bailey from going to Miss Kelly’s Taylor Hill home.

But just three days after the order was made on January 13, Bailey breached it by attending at the address to pick up his belongings.

Linda Fowler, prosecuting, said that the visit was pleasant and Miss Kelly agreed to give her ex a lift back to his flat.

On the way he asked her to buy him some food from Sainsbury’s at Shore Head as he was banned from the store.

However Bailey’s behaviour changed when he then asked Miss Kelly if he could go back to her home and she refused.

Mrs Fowler said: “He refused to get out of the car, he was pleading to go back to her house.

“She said she would go to the police station and during the journey the defendant was alternating towards being nice and nasty to her.

“He called her evil and said that his solicitor would drag her through the court.”

The journey took a more sinister turn as the former couple reached Jackroyd Lane in Newsome.

Mrs Fowler said: “She indicated to turn right and he changed the indicator to left so that they would go towards her house.

“Just before Newsome Road he grabbed the steering wheel and turned it, causing her to steer into oncoming traffic.

“Vehicles had to swerve to avoid collision.”

Magistrates heard that Bailey served with the police force for 17 years until his conviction in 2005.

Lucy Malpas, mitigating, said that his young daughter also died at that time.

She said: “It was then that his drink issues started.

“He couldn’t cope, didn’t get help and his issues spiralled out of control.”

Magistrates revoked Bailey’s community order and sentenced him to 26 weeks in prison.