A BANNED motorist, who was well over the drink drive limit, took his girlfriend’s car to buy more alcohol, at 7.10am on a Saturday morning, a court heard.

But, Darren Jeffery Appleby had only driven a short distance in the Peugeot 206 before he struck another car, after apparently ignoring a red light.

Durham Crown Court heard that following the collision with an oncoming Vauxhall Corsa, in Seaton Lane, Seaham. Appleby remained in the Peugeot and appeared to be revving the engine as if intending to flee the scene.

Due to the damage, however, he was unable to drive away and so he got out of the car in an apparently intoxicated state.

He was stumbling around, urging onlookers not to report the incident to the police.

Phillip Morley, prosecuting, said Appleby returned to his girlfriend’s home and emerged with a kitchen knife, which was seen protruding from his track suit jacket.

When police arrived, however, Appleby again went back to his girlfriend’s home.

Mr Morley said the officers recovered the knife, but Appleby threatened them with a potato peeler and had to be subdued using a Taser stun gun.

A subsequent breath test revealed he was almost three times over the legal drink drive limit for alcohol, while a search revealed a quantity of cocaine in a children plastic egg, hidden in his sock.

Mr Morley said when interviewed about the incident he made, “no comment” replies.

Twenty-six-year-old Appleby, of Glebe View, Murton, admitted charges of aggravated vehicle taking, driving while disqualified, with excess alcohol, and without insurance, as well as possessing cocaine.

Having previously denied possessing a bladed article in public, he changed his plea on the day of his scheduled trial and admitted the offence.

The court heard he has previous convictions for knife carrying, violence, drugs and motoring offences.

Chris Baker, mitigating, said the defendant was aware he faced a custodial sentence, given his record and the events that Saturday morning.

Mr Baker said that although Appleby did have a knife with him in the latter stages of the incident, it was never produced or used to threaten anyone at the scene.

Jailing him for 27 months, Judge Simon Hickey also banned Appleby from driving for three years from his release and ordered destruction of the knife and drugs.