A 'DRIVING lesson' in a friend's car ended with a teenage motorist crashing and writing off the vehicle, a court heard.

Shaun James O'Kane was at the wheel of the Ford Fiesta which travelled at up to 70mph on roads with 30mph and 40mph limits in the Stanley area of County Durham.

During the journey, interrupted by stops to visit friends, O'Kane drove erratically, passing through a red light, before crashing into a bollard on a left-hand bend.

Durham Crown Court heard the car lost control and the journey ended when it came to rest after smashing into a traffic sign.

Mark Giuliani, prosecuting, said O'Kane and his passenger suffered minor whiplash injuries, while the car was damaged beyond repair.

Mr Giuliani added that, since the incident, in March, O'Kane had been sent to a young offenders' institution for a total of 17 months, for affray, breaching an anti-social behaviour order and threatening behaviour.

Anne Haugstad, mitigating, said O'Kane knew the car owner and they met up that evening for a drive around.

"He effectively believed he was having some sort of driving lesson from the owner of the car."

Miss Haugstad added: "He's 19 and he was remanded in custody in May and he is now part way through his first custodial sentence, imposed in August."

O'Kane, of Fawcett Hill Terrace, Craghead, near Stanley, admitted dangerous driving and driving without insurance.

Adding three-months onto his existing 17-month sentence, Judge Peter Armstrong told O'Kane: "At least you had the good sense to plead 'guilty' to this matter.

"As you committed this while on bail for causing an affray, it's appropriate to make it a short consecutive sentence."

O'Kane was also banned from driving for a year.