A GP accused of jumping lanes and driving at up to 100mph on a dual carriageway before he crashed into the back of a BMW car on his way home from Chester has been ordered to carry out 150 hours unpaid work.

Dr Ian Grieve, 35, of Penrhosfeilw, Holyhead, Anglesey, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving in an Audi Quattro on the A55 between Halkyn and Abergele after a hypomanic episode.

Caernarfon Crown Court heard Grieve thought he was undergoing a test to join the secret services.

Matthew Curtis, prosecuting, said the doctor had abandoned his car on the dual carriageway and walked in the eastbound carriageway, appearing confused.

Police took him to nearby Glan Clwyd Hospital where he tried to run off and was chased around the car park.

Grieve was questioned in February. “He said he had a stressful week at work. He left work at Chester to go home to Holyhead. He had been diagnosed with bipolar,” Mr Curtis said.

The court heard the doctor, who had four previous offences for speeding, continued to practise and had a supportive wife and family.

Oliver Jarvis, defending, said Grieve accepted he should have managed his medical condition better. There was shame and “total embarrassment”.

Mr Jarvis said: ”He’s mortified. He now works in a practice much closer to home. This has been a real eye-opening event. There will be extreme consequences.”

The doctor now faced a General Medical Council fitness to practise hearing, the court was told.

Judge Niclas Parry imposed a 16 months driving ban with a re-test and told the doctor to pay £1,200 costs.

Judge Parry said to him: ”Your decision to get behind the wheel of your vehicle on the evening was the grossly irresponsible act that lies at the root of this case.”

The judge said the GP was aware of his condition and that he had been driving at the end of a particularly difficult week at work.

He had then made a series of dangerous manoeuvres, undertaking, jumping lanes and smashing into the back of a car which went into the central barrier.

“Mercifully only minor injury. You could have caused a fatality,” Judge Parry said.

“The fact no-one was seriously injured was probably due to the good skill of the driver.”

He added Grieve’s previous speeding tickets showed a “concerning lack of respect for the safety of road users”.

However, his driving licence was now under medical review. He was probably in court because he had become complacent about his medical condition.

Judge Parry added: ”I accept you are truly remorseful.”