An angry young man who borrowed his grandmother’s car after an argument with his sister appeared in court yesterday.
Nicholas Woodhead, 20, of West Avenue, Honley, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking and drink driving.
At Kirklees Magistrates’ Court he also admitted using a car without third party insurance and driving while only having a provisional licence.
Prosecutor Alex Bozman said police officers turned up on May 27 at Lady House Lane, Berry Brow, after he had crashed into a Renault Kango.
Mr Bozman said he had been staying with his grandmother in Darwen, Lancashire, when he went drinking with his sister.
There was an argument and he took his grandmother’s Peugeot 306 and drove unsupervised on the M62 back to Huddersfield, intending to return to his home.
At 3.35am there was a report of a vehicle crashing into a Renault Kango.
The owner thought he could smell alcohol on Woodhead’s breath and a test revealed the defendant had 52 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.
Rachel Smith, in mitigation, said he was a frustrated young man who had struggled with education at school and was unemployed.
She said he told her he had consumed four or five pints and afterwards said he couldn’t believe he had done it.
He had seen the family’s doctor and recognised that “this behaviour can’t continue” and that he needed anger management therapy.
Woodhead was given a community order of 150 hours over 12 months. He was also banned from driving for 12 months and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £60 as well as costs of £85.
