AN UNLICENSED driver “persuaded” his girlfriend to allow him to take her father’s car home after drinking one night.

Despite her protests, she finally relented, as Brett Maughan promised to bring the car back the following day.

Durham Crown Court was told that her father was on holiday and the Vauxhall Corsa was parked outside the family home in Trimdon.

But the court heard that as Maughan drove towards Ferryhill, at 1am on August 26, a police officer in an unmarked car took up the pursuit as the Corsa kept crossing the centre white lines.

The blue flashing light was deployed on the police car, but Maughan ignored it and accelerated up to almost 50-miles per hour on a 30-limit road, at Metal Bridge.

Chris Williamson, prosecuting, said the Corsa finally came to a halt in Hylton (CORRECT) Road, Ferryhill.

Maughan got out, putting two fingers up to the officer in the patrol car, before fleeing on foot, leaving his girlfriend in the passenger seat.

Despite removing his top he was spotted and detained in Brancepeth Road.

Mr Williamson said Maughan was breathalysed and the lowest reading was 63mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, compared to the legal limit of 35mg.

He conceded he had no insurance or licence and told police he had been in a relationship with the car owner’s daughter for only a week.

Maughan said he had been drinking in Trimdon and that he had pestered his girlfriend to allow him to take the car home to Ferryhill.

The 21-year-old, of Ravensworth Road, Ferryhill, admitted taking the car without the owner’s consent, drink driving and driving without a licence or insurance.

It put him in breach of a suspended 12 month prison sentence, imposed at the court in February, for grievous bodily harm.

Jenny Coxon, mitigating, said Maughan has complied with other elements of the sentence imposed in February, including 100-hours’ unpaid work and three-months on an electronically-tagged curfew.

She said he lost his council job after the February conviction, but has recently found new employment as a warehouseman.

Judge Penny Moreland told Maughan it merited a prison sentence, but given his apparent work ethic she would give him, “one last chance”.

He was given a three-month 9pm – 7am home curfew as part of a 12-month community supervision order, including six months’ attending an alcohol treatment project.

Maughan was also banned from driving for three years.