A MAN who partly demolished a house when he crashed a car into it has been sentenced to 13 months' imprisonment.

Neil Kavanagh, 28, of Princess Road, Bournemouth, was drunk when he got behind the wheel of the Ford Fiesta and collided with the home in Purewell, Christchurch, at 5.30am on March 2 this year.

Householder Katie O'Connor and her two-year-old child were upstairs at the property when the vehicle ploughed through the front of the house into the hallway, Bournemouth Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor John Montague told the court that Kavanagh spent the night drinking with a friend before taking her car for a drive around Christchurch without permission in the early hours of March 2.

At 5.30am Ms O'Connor was awoken by "a large crash" and came downstairs to find there was a Ford Fiesta in her hallway, said Mr Montague.

"She could hear the engine revving and was fearful of fire or explosion. She called police and had an agonising wait until they arrived," he added.

Officers using police dogs tracked Kavanagh and another male to a nearby boat centre.

Mr Montague said: "He and the defendant were in high spirits and dancing in front of officers under the influence of alcohol."

Kavanagh was taken to Christchurch Police Station under suspicion of drink-driving where he refused to be breathalysed and had an "aggressive demeanour", said Mr Montague.

In police interviews Kavanagh described himself as "very drunk" and said he lost control of the car when a tyre burst.

The cost of damage to the house was estimated at £22,000, the court heard.

Kavanagh has a very long criminal record and was serving a community sentence for robbery when the incident occurred.

He pleaded guilty to failure to provide a specimen, using a vehicle without insurance, failure to stop after a road accident and aggravated vehicle taking.

Defence Nick Robinson said that Kavanagh was "very disappointed" with himself over the incident.

He added: "He had complied with all the requirements of his licence up to March 2. They were impulsive acts which he deeply regrets."

Judge John Beashel also disqualified Kavanagh from driving adding: "This was wholly irresponsible behaviour and it's a wonder nobody was injured."