A DRIVER knocked down a pedestrian before manoeuvring his 4x4 around her and leaving her in the road.

Tony Walter Wallace was behind the wheel of his red Nissan X-Trail when he hit a 20-year-old Bournemouth woman outside Coffee and Dice in Christchurch Road, Boscombe.

Wallace, 63, immediately left the county, and scrapped his car in the days after the collision.

He has now been jailed after admitting driving without due care and attention, failing to stop at a road accident, failing to report a road accident and driving without valid insurance.

The victim was injured in the collision, which happened as she was crossing the road at around 10.30pm on Friday, July 7.

She was thrown into the air and left unconscious in the carriageway in front of the vehicle.

The X-Trail was then seen to manoeuvre around her and drive off.

Detectives investigating the scene found parts of the vehicle, including the light.

Police believed the vehicle had travelled out of the county through East Hampshire. After an extensive search, Wallace was arrested at an address in Sussex in the days afterwards.

The car was never found, and further enquiries with the DVLA revealed it had been scrapped shortly after the crash.

In an interview with officers, Wallace admitted being the driver of the X-Trail at the time of the collision.

He said he had "panicked" and driven off after hitting the woman.

The casualty suffered a number of deep cuts and bruises, but was not seriously injured.

Wallace, of Waverley Road in Portsmouth, appeared at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court on Monday.

He was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison and disqualified from driving for one year and nine weeks.

Sergeant Phil Lee, of the traffic unit, said: “Wallace showed little regard for the welfare of his victim, leaving her unconscious and lying in the road and then tried to cover up his actions by scrapping the vehicle.

“It was exceptionally fortunate that his victim did not sustain more serious injuries and I hope this case serves as a warning to all those thinking of leaving the scene of an accident that we will trace and locate you, and you will be brought to justice.”