A YOUNG tearaway has been jailed for stealing a car and crashing it just days after being given a criminal behaviour order (CBO).

Keaton Morrison already had convictions for burglary, theft and threatening behaviour before he went on his latest crime spree after being egged on by his friends in an act of ‘bravado’.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the teenager was banned from entering Viewley Hill Shopping Centre as part of his CBO but on September 21 he walked into the Boots store and stole crisps and drinks valued at £2.65.

Harry Hadfield, prosecuting, said three days later Morrison stole the keys for a car whilst at a party then driving off, smashing into another car, flipping it onto the roof before being forced to crawl from the wreckage and attempting to flee the scene.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Hadfield said: “The victim said she had just retired, she was using her car to enjoy her retirement, she relied up on the car to see her grandchildren, now it has been written off - £8,000 worth of damage.”

The 18-year-old, of Beckenham Gardens, Hemlington, pleaded guilty to theft from a shop, breaching his CBO, aggravated vehicle taking and driving with no insurance or licence.

His barrister, Nigel Soppitt, told the court that the defendant was ‘deeply influenced’ by his friends and struggled with alcohol misuse.

“He was with his friends drinking and foolishly in an act of bravado he stole a packet of crisps,” he said. “It was suggested by one of his friends, and again after he had been drinking, they suggested he steal a car and he did.

“He crashed the car and that brought him down to earth - both physically and metaphorically speaking.”

Sentencing Morrison to 12-months in a young offenders’ institute, Judge Stephen Ashurst said the seriousness of the aggravated vehicle taking warranted a custodial sentence.

“You have been given a chance no fewer that six times at the youth and magistrates court,” he said. “You only survived for eight days before you committed these offences. You were given a criminal behaviour order, which was designed to bring you to your senses and make you behave responsibly in certain areas but you breached that when you were in drink and stole drinks from Boots.

“You took the opportunity to pinch the keys, you drove away from the property in that car and bashed into another vehicle before you drove it in a dangerous manner resulting in the car being completely written off.”

Morrison was also given concurrent sentences of one month for the breaching his CBO and theft and a two and a half year driving ban.