A PSYCHOLOGIST who ploughed his car into groups of partygoers outside a pub in Worcester city centre has narrowly escaped jail.

Dr Martin Willmott, who helps people recover from road accidents in his job, was found guilty of dangerous driving and disqualified from driving for 18 months for an incident in which seven people outside the Courtyard pub, now known as the Pitcher and Piano, in St Nicholas Street, suffered serious injuries to their necks, backs, arms, and faces.

Among those was Andrew Wood, a medal-winning canoeist whose dreams of competing at an Olympic Games were shattered by an injury to his back, and Gavin Judd, who suffered suffered a broken collar bone, broken shoulder, 12 broken ribs, two broken bones in his back, and a punctured lung.

At Worcester Magistrates Court chairman of the bench Chris Size said: "Martin Willmott, your actions on that particular night fell below the standard expected of a competent driver.

"The tragic consequences of that mean a custodial sentence is warranted."

However, Mr Size said he found there were enough mitigating factors, including the fact he tested negative for drink and drugs, had a clean driving licence, and showed remorse immediately after the crash, that he could suspend a sentence of 26 weeks in custody for two years.

Willmott, 57, of Tay Avenue, St Peter's, Worcester, was found guilty of driving a motor vehicle dangerously following a highly contested two-day trial at the beginning of last month. Before sentencing, Mark Johnson, prosecuting, reminded the court how Willmott, a Worcestershire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust clinical and forensic psychologist, mounted a kerb with his automatic silver Jaguar and drove into groups of revellers outside the Courtyard about 10pm on Thursday, August 24, 2006.

Mr Johnson said: "The car took a hard, sharp turn to the right and it turned and ended up facing the pavement.

"It travelled down the pavement striking a number of people."

Willmott was sentenced to do 140 hours unpaid work and made to pay £500 court costs.

Some of the victims are currently in the process of making compensation claims.

A Worcestershire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust spokeswoman said: "This happened when he was on private business so we have no comment."