Teenager sped away from cops in mother's car after trip to buy cigarettes
A teenager, who took his mother’s car to buy cigarettes because it was cold, has narrowly escaped being locked up.
Charlie Doyle had neither a driving licence nor insurance and had not told her of his crazy plan, a judge heard.
The 18-year-old was spotted driving fast on the short trip by a police patrol who ordered him to stop, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.
He panicked and, instead of coming to a halt in Manor Road, Smethwick, put his foot down, said Mr Peter McCartney, prosecuting.
The Mini travelled at more than 50 mph in a 30 zone, taking speed bumps so fast that the car momentarily became airborne, it was said.
The car headed down Stony Lane, into Little Moor Hill and through other residential streets at up to twice the speed limit.
A pedestrian jumped out of his way in the High Street before Doyle lost control and careered through a junction.
The vehicle demolished an iron fence, wrecked the Mini and hurled debris into the air which almost landed on a member of the public sitting on a park bench, continued Mr McCartney.
The defendant, who took the car while his mother was asleep on October 23, told a police officer: “I panicked. I don’t have a licence.”
He had intended to buy cigarettes at a shop one and a half minutes walk away from his home, it was said.
Miss Jeanette Stevenson, defending, disclosed: “He doesn’t know why he decided to drive apart from it being quite cold.
“He knew the car was not his, he had no licence, no insurance and his mum was going to kill him and made the decision not to stop in a panic.
"It was a very stupid mistake followed by a few minutes of madness.
"He was not used to driving the car, lost control and was very fortunate that none of the metal bars from the fence hit anybody.”
Doyle, from Londonderry Grove, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking and having neither insurance nor a licence and was given 14 months detention suspended for 18 months with 150 hours unpaid work and a three-year driving ban.
He was also ordered to pay £340 costs.
Judge Dean Kershaw told him: “You realised you were in trouble, panicked and set off on a course of really dangerous driving.
"The incident did not last long but it does not take a second to kill someone.
"You now have a criminal record which you will have to explain to people.
"This offence crossed the custodial threshold but I do not think it would be right to send you straight into custody.”
