A FORMER addict who swiped the keys to his mum’s car then led police on a high-speed chase has been given a final chance to keep himself out of prison.

Kane Hall, 31, was spared an immediate jail sentence in May after admitting aggravated vehicle taking, driving without insurance and failing to provide a specimen. He’d taken his mum’s Ford Focus from the driveway and was later chased through Chippenham by officers in a pursuit that saw him narrowly miss hitting a bin man.

He was given a 17 month prison term suspended for two years and ordered to complete a curfew, 250 hours of unpaid work, the thinking skills programme and an alcohol rehabilitation course.

Hall was hauled before Judge Jason Taylor QC in October after breaching the order.

And barely a month later he was back in the dock for a second breach. Hall admitted the breach on Thursday, four days after he turned up at Swindon Crown Court without a lawyer.

Defending, Emma Handslip said her client had a sick note from his doctor signing him off work until early next year. He now realised this was not enough to excuse him from attending probation service rehabilitation programmes like the thinking skills scheme. He had done nine hours of unpaid work.

An addict of 11 years, Hall had now managed to get himself clean – but was struggling with his mental health. He had gone to addiction charity Turning Point this week to get his urine drug-tested; the results proved he was only taking prescription medication.

He recognised he struggled with his memory but had bought himself a diary to note down probation appointments. His family remained supportive of him.

Probation officer Michelle James asked Judge Taylor to consider removing the unpaid work requirement from his suspended sentence order and replace it with another curfew or a longer alcohol treatment programme.

The judge said he was narrowly persuaded not to activate the suspended jail sentence.

Imposing a three month curfew and extending the alcohol treatment programme by six months Judge Taylor told Hall: “You need to understand that no matter what your sick note says from the doctor, you have to attend thinking skills – that’s different to unpaid work, you understand that?

“If there is any confusion then you pick up the phone or you walk to the office. The main thing is you keep the lines of communication open.”

He added: “This is to be your last chance.”