A FIRST-TIME offender who drove a BMW car into a shop in Padgate Lane causing up to £30,000 worth of damage is now behind bars.

Lloyd Deakin, of Rylands Drive in Orford, was handed a six-month sentence after pleading guilty to dangerous driving and being over the alcohol limit earlier.

The court heard how the 23-year-old had been out drinking in Showbar on Friars Gate on July 29 with a friend.

The two friends met two girls in the bar – one of the girls had been drinking but the other was sober.

Prosecuting Sarah Badrawy said: “At 2.30am the two girls were ready to leave and the defendant offered them a lift home.

“He had driven his vehicle there and planned to leave it there but took the decision at 2.30am to drive.”

Deakin drove off along Academy Way, heading in the direction of Padgate.

At first his driving was described as normal by one of the passengers in the car but he soon started to speed.

By the time the car pulled up at a petrol station on Winwick Road, the passenger said she was ‘shaking with fear’.

After the defendant bought a packet of cigarettes, he drove off – hitting speeds of 80mph according to the passenger.

She told him on more than one occasion to slow down but he laughed and continued to speed.

Ms Badrawy said: “One of the women could see the traffic lights were on red and he was making no attempt to stop or slow down.

“At this stage she thought she was going to die."

“She was upset, scared and felt powerless.”

The car ploughed into the front of the Chinese Medical and Skin Centre on Padgate Lane causing £20,000 to £30,000 worth of damage.

The shop was also forced to close for a week causing its owners to suffer a further loss of £2,000.

Officers arrived at the scene and they described the defendant as being unsteady on his feet and smelling of intoxicants.

He was arrested and he was taken into custody where his lowest reading was 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood – more than twice over the legal limit.

He later told the probation services that he had drank one pint and between five to seven Jack Daniel's and coke drinks.

Defending, Simeon Evans said Deakin, who set up his own business with a friend six months ago, fully understands how serious his driving was on the night in question.

He added: “The one thing that can be said is that it appears to be entirely out of character."

“This can be gleaned from his previous good history, he has only had three points on his licence and it was clean at the time of the offence.”

Sentencing, Judge Neil Flewitt QC said it was ‘remarkable’ that the consequences were not more serious.

He added: “For some reason that I fail to understand you decided to drive home - perhaps it was to impress these two girls by deciding at 2.30am in the morning to offer them a lift.”

Deakin was also disqualified from driving for three years.