A DRINK-DRIVER ploughed into the front of a restaurant when his car "took off" after speeding straight over a roundabout.

Vitalijs Chernenoks was more than three times the legal limit when he crashed in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, in November.

The 31-year-old was banned from the roads for three years and given a ten-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

Teesside Crown Court heard how he has two previous convictions for driving with excess alcohol and two while disqualified.

Chernenoks ran from the scene in Friarage Street but was caught by two passers-by who chased him, said prosecutor Nigel Soppitt.

Police arrived and there was a struggle before he was breathalysed and gave a reading of 106 micrograms - the limit is 35.

Mr Soppitt told the court: "He was driving at such a speed that he drove straight over a roundabout, and the car took off.

"It became embedded in the Quattro Ragazzi restaurant. When he was taken to the police station, he refused to give a breath sample."

Graham Silvester, mitigating, said: "He knows he has come as close as he could to custody without crossing the threshold."

Chernenoks, of Meadow Lane, Northallerton, was also fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £250 costs by Judge Simon Bourne-Arton, QC.

The judge also told him to to 160 hours of unpaid community work, and put him on a curfew for six months from 9pm to 5am.

He told Chernenoks: "You have a bad record for driving and other motoring matters, but I note the last conviction was seven years ago.

"You were drunk. You knew you would be well over the limit, and you chose to drive simply because, to use your words, it was raining.

"You made a conscious decision, an informed decision, to drive, thereby brining risk of injury and danger to others using the road.

"You went straight over that roundabout such was the state of your drunkenness, and your crashed into the restaurant.

"Northallerton, at that time of night, 1am, can be very busy with people who have themselves been drinking and, therefore, at risk.

"It is very fortunate that neither you nor others were injured."

Chernenoks Admitted dangerous driving and failing to give a specimen of breath on November 15 at an earlier court hearing.