IT was a getaway attempt that was caught on camera and helped to convict a thief as she tried to evade justice.

As these images show, a police was almost run over as he tried to stop Kelly Golds fleeing Winchester City centre where she had just stolen goods from a shop.

CCTV footage shows the drug addict reversing into the path of a policeman who had chased her into the car park.

Dodging the reversing car, the policeman can be seen frantically trying to open the passenger door as Golds swings the car on to the road almost knocking him over.

He then tries to smash the passenger window with a baton in a desperate attempt to stop her driving out of the Wessex Hotel car park but the car speeds off.

Golds, 34, is then captured almost knocking over a pedestrian at a junction before driving on the wrong side of the High Street towards the King Alfred statue in a desperate bid to get away.

Golds, of Alexander Grove, Fareham, who has previous convictions for theft and driving while disqualified, pleaded guilty to stealing the perfumes and dangerous driving.

She was disqualified from driving for 12 months and given a 12-month community order.

Although the incident happened in September 2008, sentencing was deferred so that Golds could seek treatment for her drug addiction.

In mitigation, Gary Venturi said that the 34-year-old mum has stayed out of trouble since the offence and is working hard to address her “drug difficulties”.

Judge Patrick Hooton told the court she was “lucky” not to have run the policeman over.

Passing sentence he said: “I’m sure you realised that when you came up in front of me driving off like that at a police officer that you were within a whisper of going to prison.

“If you step out of line again you will be going to prison.”