A dad-to-be who took a car without consent to buy a packet of cigarettes after giving up cannabis, crashed it on the way back home.
Anthony Thomas, 23, drove off after crashing the Silver Peugeot 407 into the back of a silver BMW in central Stockton.
Thomas, from Norton, was in breach of an 18 months suspended jail sentence, but a judge today spared him because of his efforts to reform.
Prosecutor Jenny Haigh told Teesside Crown Court that the crash happened at about 9.15pm on Sunday November 16.
Police found part of the Peugeot’s number plate at the scene at a roundabout at Kingfisher Way and Queen Elizabeth Way.
They went to the owner’s home but he was away and Thomas had been staying there and he admitted taking the car without consent.
In interview he said that he had driven it to a shop on Yarm Lane to buy some cigarettes and on the way back he collided with the BMW.
Mrs Haigh said that he had 22 convictions for 31 offences, and he was given the suspended sentence at Teesside Crown Court in February 2013 for possessing cocaine and cannabis with intent to supply.
Police had gone to Thomas’s flat in Abingdon Road, Middlesbrough, at 9.40pm on 23 May 2012 concerned for a woman’s safety. He allowed them inside and there was a strong smell of cannabis. They found cannabis,cocaine and money, and a holdall of small snap bags, and Thomas said that he had bought the drugs.
The suspension had a fortnight to run yesterday when he appeared on bail for sentencing.
The judge Recorder Eric Elliott QC told Thomas that when he first read the case papers he thought he would end up sending him to prison.
But the judge said: “You have made good efforts to transform your life.”
Duncan McReddie, defending, said that Thomas had voluntarily co-operated with programmes to tackle his problems and he was now in a stable relationship and his girlfriend was expecting their child.
Mr McReddie added: “This was an entirely different type of offence committed impulsively towards the end of his suspended sentence period.
“He is now in a stable relationship and he has voluntarily co-operated fully in programmes and he sees the value of that co-operation.”
The judge told Thomas: “When I first read these papers and saw the suspended sentence I thought it would be a case of having to send you away.
“But you have been doing your level best to stay out of trouble, and apart from this matter the last time you were in trouble was in May 2012.
“You are now in a stable relationship with a young woman who is expecting your child and I am very impressed that you have referred yourself to a programme in relation to issues of domestic violence and you are trying to find work.”
The judge added: “Because of the car accident somebody might have been seriously injured but they were not.”
Thomas, of Pine Street, Norton, was given a three months jail sentence suspended for 12 months with supervision, and disqualified for 12 months with £80 victim surcharge.
He pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking, no insurance and licence and failing to stop. The judge took no action on the suspended sentence, which Thomas also admitted breaching.
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