A TEENAGE joyrider who left a high performance car embedded in the lounge of a house in Chester-le-Street was locked up this week.

Three people in the house, in Lingholm, escaped unhurt as they were asleep upstairs when the S-Type Jaguar ploughed through the front window and wall when Brett Crawford lost control after colliding with a lamp-post.

Crawford, who fled the scene on foot, was later traced by DNA-traces from the air bag of the S-type Jaguar, one of two cars taken from another home in Chester-le-Street.

The 19-year-old was sent to a young offenders' institution for four years after Durham Crown Court heard he was serving a driving disqualification at the time of the incident, last June.

Mark Giuliani, prosecuting, said keys were stolen for both the Jaguar, a company car, and a family Fiat Punto saloon, in the burglary at a house in Falstone, Drive, Waldridge, at around 10pm.

The Punto was later recovered, locked and secured, nearby, and the Jaguar was driven round before it lost control, demolished a lamp-post and veered into the house in Lingholm, at 2.45am the following morning. A man seen fleeing from the scene matched a description of Crawford and he was arrested a fortnight later, but he denied being involved.

It was not until December that the forensic evidence confirmed the match and Crawford has been detained in custody since.

Mr Giuliani said the 18-month-old car was worth £30,000 new, while the damage to the house, which took three months to repair, was put at £21,000 and the lamp-post cost £5,000 to replace.

Home-owner Susan Baron, 50, daughter Lindsey, 21, and her boyfriend, escaped shocked but unhurt.

Crawford, of Jacques Terrace, Chester-le-Street, admitted burglary, aggravated vehicle taking and driving while disqualified.

Nigel Wray, mitigating, said: "He apologises unreservedly for the damage and distress he caused. He lost control and he's very sorry for the consequences."

Imposing the four-year sentence, Judge Maurice Carr said: "It's only by good fortune that no-one was killed. You're clearly someone from whom the public are entitled to have protection."

Judge Carr also banned Crawford from driving for a further four years.