Surinder Singh, 45, was almost three times over the drink-drive limit when he deliberately crashed his car on the A508 road, south of Stoke Bruerne.

At Northampton Crown Court, he was sentenced to two years' imprisonment in his absence and banned from driving for 10 years, having since fled to India.

Gavin Lyon, prosecuting, said he was at the wheel of a Vauxhall Vectra at 11.50am on January 27, travelling towards Stony Stratford.

As he drove through a number of double white line bends, he was seen overtaking five cars on blind corners as well as on the crest of a hill.

Mr Lyon said as he went to overtake two lorries "with no view ahead whatsoever", he crashed head on into a flat bed truck.

He said: "The defendant himself had to be removed by the fire service and was not wearing a seat belt."

After being cut free and taken to hospital, he was found to be almost three times over the drink drive limit with 230 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood when the legal limit is 80mg.