Man Who Never Had a Driving Lesson Got Drunk and Drove Dad's Car

DARREN Minett has never had a driving lesson in his life - but that didn't stop him from taking his dad's car when he was blind drunk, and crashing the vehicle into a ditch.

An ambulance was already on the scene when police arrived at the accident on the A10, and discovered that 20-year-old Minett was so drunk that he was unable to stand without swaying.

He told officers he had been to a party, and took the keys to his father's Peugeot 306 after stumbling home, Ely magistrates were told on Thursday.

"The next thing he remembered were his legs being wet, and he was in a ditch," said prosecutor Matthew Bradbury. "He was visibly upset, and agreed he had drunk a lot, he scored himself at 10 out of 10 on the scale of drunkenness."

Minett, of Cherry Orchard, Haddenham, gave a breath test reading more than double the legal alcohol limit.

The accident happened on Witchford Road at Ely in the early hours of June 7, said Mr Bradbury. The car was on its side in a large ditch, and Minett admitted he had been drinking. He had no permission to take his father's car.

Minett, who admitted drink-driving, and driving without insurance or a licence, told the court he had never taken a driving lesson, and had no form of licence. He had never driven his father's car before, and had been very drunk at the time of the offences.

Presiding magistrate Dr Christine Shaw told Minett: "You were on the road, never having had a lesson, and you were blind drunk. You were a danger to anyone unfortunate to have been on the road at the same time. You were fortunate not to have been injured or dead in the ditch."

Minett was banned from driving for two years and fined £250 with £60 costs and a £15 surcharge. The court refused him the opportunity to reduce the ban by taking a rehabilitation course - saying he did not deserve it.