A GETAWAY driver was described as "both a villain and a hero" after coming to his friend’s rescue when a burglary went horribly wrong, a court was told.

Wayne Houfe was lucky to escape with his life after cutting through cables he was trying to steal from a substation in Darlington, causing 11,000 volts to explode through his body.

The bungled burglary, in October last year, left him with life-changing burns and put him in hospital for more than a month.

He appeared in court in February and was handed a 12-week jail sentence, suspended for a year.

His accomplice, getaway driver Richard Stamper, appeared before Darlington Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (May 2), to be dealt with for his part in the incident, which left 25 homes without power for half an hour.

The 39-year-old, who had previously pleaded not guilty, changed his plea and admitted burglary.

Prosecutor Joanne Hesse said an ambulance was called to Carlton Moor Crescent, in Darlington, where both men live, in the early hours of October 18.

The pair had returned home following the explosion, when Houfe started suffering from convulsions, said Mrs Hesse.

She said: “The defendant had taken Houfe to the substation, in Allington Way, saw him climb over the fence into one of the compounds, when he saw an explosion and saw his co-accused climb back over the fence, on fire.

“He extinguished the flames and drove home, because the co-accused did not want to go to hospital.”

During police interviews, Stamper said he realised something was not right and tried to help his friend who was in a great deal of pain.

Belinda Dobson, mitigating, said Stamper accepted his role in the incident, but that it was to a lesser degree than Houfe, as he had not entered the premises.

She said: “I would suggest he has already served part of his sentence by seeing what he did.

“[This incident] has not scarred him on the outside, but it has scarred him on the inside and I can assure the court that he will never be before you again.”

A Probation Service report described Stamper as “both a villain and a hero”.

He was ordered to carry out 70 hours’ unpaid work and pay £500 compensation to the National Grid.