A convicted fraudster was twice the legal drink-drive limit when a car he borrowed without consent flew through the air and landed in a front garden.
Paul Birtles of The Esplanade, Frinton, was jailed for four months by Colchester magistrates yesterday following the crash in Holland Road, Clacton, on February 10.
The 35-year-old had admitted offences of aggravated vehicle-taking and driving with excess alcohol at an earlier hearing.
Maria Jabati, prosecuting, said witnesses reported seeing Birtles travelling "at speed, tyres screaming" when the Fiat Punto he had taken without permission from a friend left the road at about 9pm.
The car demolished a wall and railing, flew across the roof of a stationary Ford Fiesta car and came to rest on a lawn.
Miss Jabati said Birtles walked away from the scene but was found by police and taken to hospital for treatment to injuries sustained in the accident.
Tests showed he had 187mgs of alcohol in 100mls of blood. The legal limit is 80.
Paul van Schaik, mitigating, said Birtles' life was "in a mess".
He said the independently-wealthy father-of-one, whose wife had left him, was unable to work as he had been convicted of dishonesty.
In 1990, Birtles passed himself off as a property developer in a bid to falsely obtain loans.
Mr van Schaik said because he could not get a job, Birtles was forced to rely on the "curse" of his inheritance, and his life lacked structure.
As well as imposing the four-month sentence, magistrates banned Birtles from driving for 32 months and ordered him to pay £1,200 compensation and £138 costs
Published Wednesday July 28, 2004
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