A PROVISIONAL licence holder was woken from his bed and cajoled into driving home by a man who had been drinking in an adjoining part of the premises.

But the unplanned early hours’ journey ended with Ryan Jackson crashing through a fence into a field after losing control on a bend during a police pursuit.

Durham Crown Court heard that Jackson’s Renault Clio hatchback was travelling at speed up Eldon Bank, near Shildon, but failed to negotiate a slight bend on the other side.

Jonathan Harley, prosecuting, said the Clio took out 15m of fencing and demolished a telegraph pole, before coming to rest in the field.

Both occupants, who suffered injuries, were detained as they emerged from the badly damaged Clio.

Mr Harley said the pursuit began when the patrol car officer spotted the Clio driving at speed in Shildon, shortly before 4.30am on April 27.

During the pursuit, round many residential streets, the Clio reached a top speed of 86-mph on a 30-limit road.

Mr Harley said Jackson made admissions but suggested he was “almost encouraged” to drive like that by his intoxicated passenger, although he conceded it was a “stupid thing to do.”

Jackson, of Bouch Street, Shildon, who has no previous convictions, admitted dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, plus driving without insurance and not in accordance with the licence.

Amrit Jandoo, mitigating, told the court: “He knows it was an exceptionally bad piece of driving.”

But he said Jackson was woken by a man who had been drinking in a neighbouring part of his address, “demanding” a lift home.

“He didn’t feel like he could say: ‘No’, despite initially saying he wouldn’t do it.”

“It’s acknowledged it was extremely foolish.”

Judge Joanne Kidd said although it crossed the custody threshold, she could draw back from imposing an immediate prison sentence due to the defendant’s lack of previous offences and the learning difficulties he suffers, which was referred to in his probation report.

Jackson was given a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, with a three-month 9pm to 7am home curfew, plus 150-hours’ unpaid work and 25 probation-supervised activity days. He was banned from driving for 18 months.