A FATHER, whose body lay undiscovered for a week after crashing his car into dense undergrowth on a busy roundabout, died instantaneously or a short time afterwards, an inquest heard.

Darren Stephenson-Bennett’s silver Renault Megane Scenic was travelling at 70mph when it hit chevron boards and crashed into trees on the roundabout at the junction of the A68 and A1(M) on the outskirts of Darlington.

The inquest heard the newly-married 28-year-old was seen by witnesses drinking whiskey and beer before leaving a party in Thompson Street West, Darlington, on the evening of Saturday, August 27. His worried family reported him missing on Tuesday, August 30.

The car, containing his body was eventually spotted by a motorist at 11.30am on Saturday, September 3rd - seven days after he was last seen leaving the party.

Durham deputy coroner Crispin Oliver said evidence from CCTV on passing buses revealed the accident happened sometime between 10pm and 11pm that night.

Footage showed ten of the roundabout’s black and white chevron boards in place just before 10pm. But an hour later there were just eight.

He said given the evidence from those at the party, there was a “high possibility” Mr Stephenson-Bennett, originally from Darlington, but living in Newton Aycliffe, was over the drink drive limit at the time of the crash.

His car came to rest several metres into the roundabout in thick undergrowth and was well hidden. During the week he was missing, many thousands of motorists would have passed the scene.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, the coroner said Mr Stephenson-Bennett suffered a serious brain injury and possibly died instantaneously or within an hour of the crash.

At the time his family described him as a popular and much-loved family man.

Police issued several appeals to find Mr Stephenson-Bennett, who leaves three children, and conducted “extensive enquiries” - including searches of streets, lay-bys and car parks, house-to-house inquiries, checking CCTV and circulating details of his car as well as deploying the police helicopter.

After the inquest, Mr Stephenson-Bennett’s family thanked Durham Constabulary for the work they had done in the case.