Over-the-limit son crashed his mum's car into six cars in Ambleside

Yet even though a blood test confirmed that 31-year-old south Cumbrian man Callum Bateson-Turner was just over twice the drink drive limit when he committed the offence, he was never charged with drink driving, Carlisle Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Steven Ball said that the defendant’s bad driving left behind “a scene of devastation”, triggering a spate of insurance claims against the defendant’s mother because it was her car that was involved.

In court, Bateson-Turner pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking.

Mr Ball said the trouble began on Saturday, September 3, after the defendant and his brother returned to their home in Castle Field, Ambleside, just before 10pm.

They had been for a night out, said the barrister.

"The defendant was injured; he's been involved in an altercation with somebody while out and that had caused him to be knocked out," said the barrister.

His mother had been speaking to Bateson-Turner's brother when she heard a car alarm sounding outside the house followed by loud banging noises. “She went outside to see a scene of devastation,” continued Mr Ball.

Along the street were several parked cars, damaged after Bateson-Turner – driving his mother’s Honda Civic – had crashed into them before coming to a halt with the car resting diagonally across the road.

Mr Ball said: “It should be said that the defendant had only a provisional driving licence so the neighbours whose cars were damaged have had to make claims against Mrs Turner [the defendant’s mother].”

At the police station, the defendant gave a blood sample which showed he was just over twice the alcohol limit for driving but he was not charged with drink driving or driving in a way not covered by his licence within the necessary six-month time limit.

Thus he appeared before court for only one offence - aggravated vehicle taking. Anthony Parkinson, defending, handed over character references and pointed out that Bateson-Turner had not been in trouble since the accident.

Referring to the failure to prosecute the defendant for drink driving and driving in a way not covered by his licence, Recorder Kate Bex KC told him: “You will never be that lucky again.”

She said the excess alcohol present in the defendant’s system was an aggravating feature of the offence before the court.

“It’s clear that you had too much to drink, and there was an altercation of some sort,” said the judge.

“The details probably don’t matter.

"What matters is that you were in a very bad place; you took your mother’s keys to the car and immediately crashed. It was described as a scene of devastation and, having looked at the photographs, I can see why it was described that way.

“There were a large number of vehicles, and £30,000 damage in all, for which somebody is going to have to pay.”

Claims totalling £20,000 have been submitted, though insurance firms have reserved £31,261 for dealing with the case, the court heard.

The defendant had shown genuine remorse, said the judge, but remarked that this was slightly offset by his initial claim to the police that he was not the driver.

“You can put that down to the drink and emotional turmoil; it’s never a good idea to lie to the police – particularly in circumstances when where it’s plainly obvious that you will be caught out," said the judge.

A background report offered mitigation relating to the defendant’s family circumstances and Bateson-Turner had been assessed as posing a "low risk" of reoffending by probation staff and a good prospect for rehabilitation.

Recorder Bex imposed a 12-month community order with 120 hours of unpaid work, and an electronically monitored alcohol abstinence order for the same period.  There will also be a 120-day 9pm to 5am curfew.

The defendant was given the minimum available driving ban of one year.

The Recorder added: “The primary loser in this is your mother.” She said no court order was needed for him to make things right with her, adding: “We look forward to not seeing you ever again.”

The defendant replied: “Me too, Your Honour.”

Bateson-Turner must pay £250 towards prosecution costs. The offence of aggravated vehicle taking involves the taking of a vehicle without the owner's consent and damaging it.