A DRUG driver who ploughed his car into the front room of family home before running away from the scene told police he was “driving at 80mph, crashed into some ****’s house, absolutely off my f***ing face”.

William Patton, 25, was high and believes he fell unconscious as he lost control of his Volkswagen Golf and careered off road, hitting road signs and coming to rest in the bay window of a terraced house.

Dozens of homeowners rushed into Rosemount Road in South Church, Bishop Auckland, after hearing the impact at 9.20pm on March 8.

Anthony and Marcia Smith had been watching television at the time of the crash and were showered with broken glass when the car became lodged in their front window.

The pair were shaken but unhurt after the room was covered in debris. Their children, who were asleep upstairs at the time, also escaped unharmed.

Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court heard yesterday that Patton, of Freville Street, Shildon, was hauled out of the wreckage by concerned neighbours and he immediately began running away from the scene.

Paul Davy, prosecuting, said: “The driver was pulled from the vehicle by the witness, but at that point, the defendant has fled the scene and was chased on foot by the witness.

“The witness lost sight of him, but the defendant left a shoe behind.

“A provisional driving licence was found in the driver’s foot well of the car, and dashcam footage from the witness captured the defendant running away from the scene.

“Extensive searches were made between South Church and Shildon, and the defendant was found in Freville Street with no shoes.”

Durham Police officers arrived at Patton’s house to arrest the 25-year-old and found a number of blister packets of tablets in his pocket.

Patton remained emotionless before the bench of magistrates yesterday as prosecutor Mr Davy added that an ambulance was called for Patton during his arrest after pretending to collapse.

He said: “The paramedics did say he needed to be assessed further at A&E following the crash and he began complaining of a headache.

“He appeared drowsy and was trying to make himself sick and acting aggressively, playing up to the people in the street.

“He made wilful submissions in the station to police officers regarding his responsibility for the road traffic collision.

“One was that, ‘I was driving at 80mph, crashing into some ****’s house, absolutely off my f***ing face’.

“While in A&E, he said he would be called up for about five offences. He then went on to make numerous admissions he’d taken numerous drugs.

“He said that he must have been driving up the bank and blacked out. He remembered a cloud of smoke and the airbags being deployed.”

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Patton pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while unfit through drugs, driving without a licence, failing to stop at the scene of an accident and failing to report an accident.

John Clish, mitigating, said: “He appears to have stated he was driving at considerable speed, but there are no witnesses to that.”

Magistrates agreed their powers were insufficient to sentence Patton and granted him unconditional bail to appear at Durham Crown Court next month.

He received an immediate driving ban, with the length of the disqualification to be decided at crown court.