A YOUNG motorist took his ex-girlfriend’s car on an early hours’ joy-ride while more than three-times over the drink-drive limit.

In the journey of only a few miles Keiran Steward ran up a bill of more than £12,000, writing off the Vauxhall Antara and damaging street fittings and furniture.

Twenty-year-old Steward, of Durham Road, Bowburn, near Durham, admitted aggravated vehicle taking, plus driving with excess alcohol, without insurance and not in accordance with the licence.

Durham Crown Court heard the offences arose after Steward and his former girlfriend, who ended their relationship last October, were both with other friends at a “social gathering”, at a house in Bowburn, on January 23.

Adrian Dent, prosecuting, said Steward’s “ex” parked behind the house, but as she had been drinking she decided to leave the car and sleep at the premises.

Mr Dent said after she went to bed Steward took her car keys and drove off in the Antara, at about 2.30am.

He headed along the A177 towards Durham, but was so drunk he collided with a pedestrian barrier, a wooden park bench, a concrete bollard and a stone wall outside a children’s playground in Shincliffe.

Steward also struck a garden wall, but carried on into Durham, passing a police car responding to a call from a householder in Shincliffe reporting the damage.

Mr Dent said the patrol car turned round and pursued the Antara, activating its blue flashing lights and siren.

But Steward, who claimed he was unaware of the police vehicle as he was playing loud music, drove on, swerving across city centre roads.

The incident ended after Steward failed to negotiate a left-hand bend on Framwelgate Peth.

Mr Dent said the car struck the central reserve, rebounding back across the road, before going through a barrier and coming to rest on the pavement.

Steward was brought from the car and arrested, telling the officers he had “stolen” his ex-girlfriend’s car.

A breath-test gave a reading showing more than three times the legal limit of alcohol for driving.

Lewis Kerr, mitigating, told the court: “The defendant, who is of previous good character, accepts this was borne out of utter stupidity, daftness.

"He can give no adequate explanation.

“There was clearly an element of acting impulsively in drink.”

Imposing an eight-month sentence in a young offenders’ institution, Judge Christopher Prince said it was only through “good fortune” that no pedestrian or other road user was injured or even killed.

He said he had to “send out a message” that anyone taking a car in such circumstances, while over the limit, must expect to receive a custodial sentence.

Steward was also banned from driving for a year.