Learner driver crashed after taking keys

APROVI S I O NAL licence holder took his father’s van to go for a drink with friends before crashing into two parked cars, a court heard.

Carl Anthony Fox, of Edgemoor Close, Shawforth, swiped the Citroen Relay van keys on September 3 this year to go drinking with friends in Todmorden.

The 35-year-old drank four pints and was returning home when he crashed the van into a £2,000 Mercedes E220 and a £1,000 Peugeot 307 writing off both vehicles, Burnley Magistrates Court heard.

Fox and a passenger then fled the scene and the defendant was arrested by police nearby.

He gave a breathalyser reading of 58mg in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.

Prosecutor Catherine Allan said the owners of the parked cars heard a ‘loud screeching noise’ at 6.20pm and saw Fox’s van ‘spin out of control’ and collide with the Mercedes and Peugeot.

The court heard how they recognised Fox and saw him run off towards his parents’ home.

When Fox was interviewed by police he said he wanted to go to Todmorden with his friends but ‘knew his dad wouldn’t let him’ so waited until he had

gone out and took the van keys from a drawer.

Miss Allan told the court that Fox ‘felt okay to drive’ and told officers that he was ‘driving too fast and showing off and that’s the reason he crashed’.

He then ‘panicked’ and ran off because he ‘knew he would get into trouble’, the court was told.

Miss Allan said: “There was a breach of trust. It was his father’s car and he has taken it. He has caused severe damage not only to his father’s vehicle but also to the two cars of those innocent people who would have had the disruption of having no vehicles.”

Fox pleaded guilty to drink-driving, driving without a licence and no

insurance and aggravated vehicle taking.

Defence solicitor Ben Leech said Fox was at a ‘particularly low ebb’ at the time and ‘suffering greatly at the time with his emotional control’.

He said: “This particular day was the first opportunity he had to speak about his issues with his friends. He decided foolishly to go for a drink in Todmorden rather than stay locally. He can’t turn back time and clearly wished he could.”

The court was told that Fox is ‘ashamed’ of his actions and is was an ‘onoff incident’.

He was given a 12-month community order with 80 hours of unpaid work and disqualified from driving for 12 months.