A man who drove a stolen car into two police officers and a member of the public, causing “catastrophic injuries”, has been jailed for four years and eight months.

Jack Robson drove 200 metres in the Mercedes S-Class at speeds of 40-60mph, before crashing into the officers, who were carrying out a stop-check at the side of the road in Littlehampton, West Sussex, in the early hours of 23 September.

Thomas Wilkins, prosecuting, told Portsmouth crown court the 20-year-old defendant had poor eyesight and was not wearing glasses when he mounted the pavement and hit the three victims, who were next to several police cars with blue lights on.

Robson, who had not passed his test, had stolen the vehicle from the driveway of a nearby house, after entering the property through an unlocked patio door and taking the car keys and some bank cards.

After the crash, Robson, who had been wearing a balaclava, attempted to run away but he was arrested after police deployed a stun gun.

The Mercedes crashed into PCs Lisa Holt and Tim Bradbury and a member of the public, Stephen Nichols, who had been in the car being checked by the officers at the side of the A259.

Holt sustained a fractured knee and pubis; Bradbury a fractured right arm, shoulder, leg and knee. Nichols sustained a fractured spine, cuts to the back of his head and other cuts and bruises.

Wilkins said neither of the officers had yet been able to return to work and Nichols faced having to change his career as a digger driver because of his back injury.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, Holt said she lost consciousness in the impact and woke to hear her colleague screaming. She said: “I felt paralysed, I didn’t know if I was going to live or die. The scene was horrific.”

The judge, Roger Hetherington, told Robson: “It’s hard to accept that you wouldn’t have been able to see, even with your limited vision, that there were some people on the pavement.

“You didn’t even brake and reduce your speed. You ploughed into them, causing catastrophic injuries. They each suffered excruciating pain, they each had to have a number of operations to multiple fractures. Their careers have been blighted and they face long-term consequences, both physically and mentally.”

Gregory Fishwick, defending, said: “He made a misjudgment over where the police were and how he could get round them. He is dreadfully sorry for the long-term injuries to these people.”

Robson, who had a previous conviction for aggravated vehicle-taking, had pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, burglary and going equipped for as well as driving a vehicle without a licence, without insurance and with uncorrected vision.

He was banned from driving for five years and four months.