A YOUNG drink driver jailed for what a judge called two of the worst pieces of motoring he has dealt with, has now admitted a third dangerous driving case.

Leon Ferry, 20, was given a 39-month sentence in a young offenders’ institution at Durham Crown Court last month after admitting two charges each of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving with excess alcohol, without insurance and a licence, plus aggravated vehicle taking, and dangerous driving.

They stemmed from an incident in which he ignored passengers’ pleas to slow down and left both seriously injured after crashing his then partner’s car into a tree, between Ushaw Moor and Esh Winning, in the early hours of May 6.

The court was told his then girlfriend suffered serious long-term injuries.

While under investigation for that incident he was involved in a 20-minute high speed chase in which two police cars were damaged and put out of action, in the early hours of October 26.

Ferry, of Doric Road, New Brancepeth, was described by his counsel at the hearing as, “not an habitual reckless driver”, with only one previous motoring offence.

It has now emerged,he was involved in a third incident last year, in which the driver and a passenger in another car were injured.

Appearing by video link from Holme House Prison, Stockton, Ferry admitted aggravated vehicle taking and dangerous driving, relating to a police chase between Delves Lane, Consett, and Framwellgate Moor, Durham, in which he was at the wheel of a Vauxhall Xafira, on September 16.

Judge Christopher Prince said, in fairness to two women in another car injured in that incident, he wanted to consider whether or not to add to Ferry’s existing sentence, even though the new case pre-dates the second of the original offences.

Having been told Ferry’s earliest possible release date, on licence, is June 28, next year, Judge Prince adjourned passing sentence in the latest case until later in the month.