A Hartcliffe man who told a judge he missed day one of his trial because his father died proved to be lying.
Shane Churchley failed to show up at Bristol Crown Court in May to face an allegation of dangerous driving.
After he was arrested and brought to court he explained he had been at hospital, where his father had passed away.
But his account proved false, landing him in even more trouble.
Churchley, 46, of Briscoes Avenue, was convicted by a jury of dangerous driving and driving while disqualified and without insurance in November last year.
He pleaded guilty to failing to surrender at court as well as theft and assault in April this year.
Judge Euan Ambrose jailed him for 20 months.
"It was a lie that was to very quickly unravel"
He told Churchley: "You said your father had gone into hospital and died and you had been at the hospital.
"That was a lie.
"It was a lie that was to very quickly unravel.
"You came clean and you admitted that was a lie."
Alex Daymond, prosecuting, said Churchley was driving a Kia car when he led police on a high speed chase through Bristol in which the banned driver mounted a pavement and went around a roundabout in the wrong direction before crashing.
The court heard Churchley had two previous convictions for dangerous driving.
In a separate incident in April this year, while on bail pending his trial, Churchley admitted theft and assault.
The court heard he stole £51 worth of Easter eggs and chocolate from Tesco Express in Axbridge Road, Knowle, and kicked shop manager Louise Lewis in the stomach when she tried to retrieve the items.
Katie Jenkins, defending, said her client had been blighted by drug addiction but very much regretted his actions and had a real desire to turn his life around.
