A MAN who crashed a stolen car into a bus shelter and ran off leaving his seriously injured passenger trapped inside has been jailed for two years.

John Beckwith, 29, had stolen the Fiat Punto from the home of a partially blind 81-year-old woman in Stockton, Teesside, before minutes later mounting the kerb, colliding with a tree and demolishing the bus shelter, in the Yarm Road area of the town.

Beckwith, of Kimblesworth Walk, Stockton, ran off, leaving his unnamed male passenger trapped and suffering from severe injuries including bleeding on the brain.

The defendant was arrested by police after he knocked at the door of a nearby house asking for medical assistance and the occupant rang the police.

Beckwith was given a roadside breath test by police and registered 85mg of alcohol in 100mg of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.

After receiving hospital treatment he was taken to the police station, but there refused to give a formal test.

Harry Hadfield, prosecuting at Teesside Crown Court, said Beckwith's passenger, who was freed by firefighters, had since recovered from his head injuries, although he had reconstruction surgery on his leg and there was a danger it could be amputated.

Beckwith pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving and causing damage to property and a vehicle on April 10 this year.

Peter Wishlade, mitigating, said he had a formidable and "reprehensible" record of offending, but had pleaded guilty to the offence at the first opportunity and understood the gravity of what he had done.

Judge Peter Bowers said it was fortunate that no-one was in the bus shelter at the time - it was 3.45am - as they could have been seriously injured. The judge said it was the most serious type of aggravated vehicle taking and jailed him for two years, although he said the sentence would have been greater had he had more powers available to him.

Beckwith was also disqualified from driving for six years.