A SHOW-OFF driver who seriously injured three people by smashing into their car has been jailed for 18 months.

John Tremble, of Sunnymead in Scissett, had tears in his eyes as he was led down to the cells at Leeds Crown Court yesterday.

The 26-year-old admitted dangerous driving, drink-driving and failing to stop after the incident on August 5 last year.

Kitty Taylor, prosecuting, told the court how the 26-year-old was drunk and showing off to his friends as he drove around the car park outside The Silver King pub on Manor Road in Ossett.

Tremble ploughed into a Jaguar car, leaving a 53-year-old man in intensive care for two weeks and two others seriously injured.

He didn’t stop, but drove home where he was later found by police hiding in the cellar.

Police tests showed Tremble was over the drink-drive limit and had been smoking cannabis.

He told police he had panicked after the smash and driven off.

Ms Taylor said the 53-year-old driver had ended up with head injuries and fractured ribs and was in intensive care for two weeks.

A female passenger fractured her pelvis in three places and a male passenger’s ribs were crushed in the impact.

Richard Canning, defending, said Tremble had shown “genuine remorse”.

He said: “He’s a young man who made an incredibly stupid mistake.”

Mr Canning suggested the court suspend Tremble’s sentence, send him on a drink-drive course, and give him curfew order.

But Judge James Spencer QC interrupted, saying Tremble had already been convicted of drink-driving back in 2006.

He said: “This is a man who when he knew he had been drinking a lot was showing off in the car-park and collided with another car.

“And then he set off down the road – what can a drink-drive course do about that?”

Judge Spencer sentenced Tremble to 18 months in prison and disqualified him from driving for five years.

He said: “You’ve admitted extremely serious offences.

“You were convicted in 2006 of driving with too much alcohol in your system and disqualified from driving.

“Then on August 5 last year you decided you would get in the car again.

“You were showing off in that car-park and collided with a car there.

“That’s so serious, only a prison sentence is appropriate.”