A man who stole a taxi and crashed it left its owner out of pocket during the Christmas period.
Paul Wilson - who had been a passenger in the vehicle - was nearly three times over the drink-drive limit when he took the vehicle belonging to cabbie Arshad Mahmood, a court heard.
The taxi driver had got out of the vehicle in fear of his safety after the 41-year-old started kicking at his seat.
The smash in the Colnebridge area caused damage to the Ford Mondeo and put it out of action over the busy festive season.
Wilson, of Highgate Avenue, Lepton, pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated vehicle taking and driving whilst over the prescribed limit.
Kirklees magistrates heard that in the early hours of December 19 Wilson and his brother-in-law had booked the taxi from Cleckheaton-based firm Colin’s Private Hire Cars.
Mr Mahmood collected the men from The Calder pub in Brighouse and they asked him to take them to another pub in Mirfield.
They got into the back of the taxi, with the other passenger getting out at a service station and Wilson being sick after remaining in the car.
Wilson then began kicking the back of Mr Mahmood’s seat after the driver then started to drive towards Liversedge instead of the agreed destination.
Alex Bozman, prosecuting, said: “Mr Mahmood was fearful for his own safety and got out of the taxi and shouted for assistance. At that point Mr Wilson got into the front seat of the vehicle and drove off.”
Police were called and found the vehicle mounted on the kerb on Dalton Bank Road. The car had suffered damage to the front nearside bumper and a tyre was missing. Wilson, who runs a tree felling company, was arrested and breath tests showed that he had 94 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.
This was nearly three times over the legal limit of 35 microgrammes.
Mr Bozman added: “The damage to the vehicle caused Mr Mahmood a loss of earnings because of the fact that his vehicle was out of operation during Christmas, a busy time of year.”
Andrew Sugden, mitigating, described the incident as having catastrophic consequences for his client.
He told magistrates that Wilson had taken over the running of his father’s tree felling company due to his ill-health and its future was uncertain due to his inevitable driving ban.
Mr Sugden said that Wilson and his staff had been enjoying a Christmas night out. He had not intended to drive but was scared when the taxi driver changed direction.
Magistrates banned Wilson from driving for two years. He also has to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and pay Mr Mahmood £200 compensation as well as £85 court costs.
