A drunk hotel manager climbed into a man's car as he refuelled and drove off while his six-year-old daughter was on the front seat.

Robert Gardiner frantically held onto his Honda Civic as Rhys Blow raced way from the Texaco garage on the Withybush retail park.

Mr Gardiner fell off after 30 yards and injured his knees as he fell to the ground.

Blow ended up crashing into bollards outside the Boots store.

Mr Gardiner's daughter, Poppy, was unhurt.

Blow, of London Road, Pembroke Dock, was jailed for two-and-a-half -years today after he admitted aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving, driving with excess alcohol in his blood, driving while disqualified, causing criminal damage and theft.

Brian Simpson, prosecuting, told Swansea crown court that the offending began after Blow, aged 28, "terrorised" an assistant at the shop inside Withybush hospital.

Blow grabbed hold of a wheelchair and rammed it into closed glass doors.

Blow then went into the Texaco garage where he stole two bottles of wine before approaching the petrol pumps.

He got into the driver's seat of the Civic and "jerked" the car forwards, ripping the nozzle of the pump out of the mouth of the petrol tank.

Mr Gardiner shouted at him and got hold of the driver's side door but could not hold on.

Mr Gardiner then alerted a taxi driver who blocked the exit of the car park.

Blow could see that a queue had formed and suddenly turned left and accelerated towards the entrance of the Boots store where he rammed into the bollards at such a speed that the car almost climbed over them.

Alexandra Davies, a student, comforted Poppy until she could be re-united with her father.

Blow was detained at the scene and tests showed he had been one and half times over the drink drive limit.

After his arrest, said Mr Simpson, Blow told police he had been feeling suicidal and two days before the incident he had drunk seven bottles of spirits in a bid to kill himself.

That had led to him being admitted to Withybush.

Mr Simpson said it was not clear whether Blow, the manager of the Lamphey Hall hotel, had been an in-patient on the day of the offending or whether he had already been discharged.

James Hartson, the barrister representing Blow, said he had been prescribed sedatives and now had no recollection of what he had done.

However, he was mortified to watch CCTV footage of all three incidents.

"What must have gone through Mr Gardiner's mind is unimaginable," added Mr Hartson.

Judge Keith Thomas said Blow had been responsible for "an extraordinarily brazen and frightening series of events."

"Poppy's father was frantic and did everything in his power to stop you," added the judge.

Blow was banned from driving for six years and three months and ordered to pass an extended driving test before getting his licence back.