A MAN took his sleeping girlfriend’s car to go buy cigarettes after a night of drinking and taking drugs before smashing into a house causing £75,000 worth of damage.

Liam James Woods, 22, of Cranleigh Road, Bournemouth, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking, drink driving, two counts of driving under the influence of drugs, driving with no insurance and driving while only holding a provisional licence.

He also admitted breaching a suspended sentenced imposed for assaulting an emergency worker and a failure to surrender and appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court for sentencing on December 8.

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Prosecuting, Leigh Hart told the court in the early hours of December 31, 2020, Woods had been drinking and taking cocaine.

She said: “His partner went to bed, leaving her car keys on her bed side table. Her car was a black Mercedes A Class.

“The defendant took those keys whilst his girlfriend was sleeping, left the address, taking the car with him.

“He drove round the Bournemouth area at speed with no headlights illuminated.”

Ms Hart said Woods approached a T-junction in Newcombe Road and made “no effort to apply the brakes”.

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“He travelled straight through the T-junction and collided with a house on the opposite side of the road, causing significant damage to both the property and the vehicle.,” the prosecutor added.

Police were called and arrested the defendant. He was found with 94 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, the legal limit is 80.

He also had more than 200 micrograms of benzoylecgonine, the main derivative of cocaine, per a litre of blood, the legal limit is 50.

Woods recorded 693 micrograms of diazepam per litre of blood, the legal limit is 550.

A victim impact statement from the owner of the house, read by Ms Hart, said her anxiety has increased and she had to take time off work to deal with insurance.

She said: “Every time I hear pebbles or a car driving fast, I get uncomfortable and feel anxious.

“This is not something anyone should be made to feel where they should feel relaxed and safe.”

Prosecuting for the probation service, David Kemeney told the court Woods failed to attend the requirement days and also failed to surrender to the court.

Mitigating, Richard Martin said Woods had a “troubled upbringing” and an alcohol problem exacerbated by the Covid-19 lockdown.

He said the defendant was remorseful and accepted a custodial sentence was inevitable.

Judge Brian Forster sentenced Woods to ten months imprisonment for dangerous driving and two months for breaching the suspended sentence, to be served consecutively.

He was sentenced to one month for drink driving, two months on each count of drug driving and one month for failing to surrender, to all be served concurrently, meaning he’ll serve 12 months imprisonment.

He was also disqualified from driving for two years and would have to take an extended test once the disqualification period ended.

Police Constable Tom Ringer, of Bournemouth police, said: “The reckless actions of Woods caused significant damage to someone’s property and it is extremely lucky that nobody was injured.

“Driving while under the influence of alcohol and drugs can lead to extremely serious consequences and we do not tolerate this behaviour.

“I hope this case sends a clear message that we will ensure those driving dangerously are brought before the courts to face the repercussions for their actions.”