ROOFER Darryl Woodhouse ignored his friends' warnings about his driving before entering a town at 75mph,overturning his car, leaving two of his passengers lying injured, a court heard yesterday.

Michael Hammond, prosecuting told Harrogate magistrates that Woodhouse, 19, had ignored pleas from friends to slow down.

Then his Vauxhall Nova SRI crashed into a telephone cable box, spun through 360 degrees and turned on to its roof as it entered Boroughbridge.

Back seat passengers Jamie Preece and Hayley McMillan, who were not wearing seat- belts, were thrown from the car. Miss McMillan escaped with minor injuries, but Mr Preece's injuries were life- threatening for some time.

Woodhouse, of Springwell Farm, Kirk Hammerton, near York, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and being almost one and a half times the drink-drive limit.

Magistrate David Gravells said the court's sentencing powers - a maximum of six months in custody - were inadequate. Woodhouse was bailed to appear for sentence at Leeds Crown Court on July 8 and banned from driving in the meantime.