A DRINK driver sped off in a friend’s car “like a maniac”, causing a near catastrophic collision.

Spencer Paul McGhee pulled out at speed from a junction, in South Stanley, while at the wheel of a Volkswagen Golf, which he had been told not to drive.

Durham Crown Court heard the VW emerged suddenly from Tees Crescent onto Wear Road hitting the side of a Honda Jazz driven by an elderly woman.

Her car was spun round and ended up on a kerb, 50 metres away, narrowly missing three pedestrians, one pushing an 18-month-old child in a push chair.

The VW crashed through a fence and hit the bay window of a house on Wear Road, causing structural damage.

Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, said McGhee, 24, reversed from the garden but was unable to drive off due to the damage to his car.

He abandoned it and tried to flee but was found limping nearby, with a bloody nose and was arrested, giving a positive breath sample of 58 mg of alcohol. The limit is 35.

McGhee told police he had been in the car but was not driving.

Mr Dryden said the VW, worth £6,500, belonged to a friend of McGhee.

It was left locked on Team Valley Trading Estate, Gateshead, following his friend's arrest in the early hours of October 6 last year.

McGhee called at the home of his friend’s partner at 2.15am asking for the spare car keys, as his house keys were locked inside.

She agreed, on the basis he should leave it locked and return the spare keys.

He ignored this, however, and drove off in the VW, which was next spotted at the accident scene, at 10.15am.

The court heard the Jazz driver received hospital treatment for whiplash and chest injuries and had suffer long-term ankle problems, leaving her unable to drive.

McGhee, of Garden Terrace, Stanley, admitted aggravated vehicle taking, driving dangerously, with excess alcohol and without insurance.

Stephen Constantine, mitigating, said it was McGhee’s first offence and followed personal difficulties.

But, he said the defendant wanted to apologise both to his friend, whose car he took, and to the Jazz driver.

Imposing a 13-month prison sentence, Judge Neil Clark told McGhee: “You had been asked not to drive that car, but you did so, while over the limit, at high speed, like a maniac.”

He was also banned from driving for three years.