A SECURITY officer who took his girlfriend for a joyride in a company car he was meant to be guarding ended up smashing it into a lamp post, a court heard last Thursday.

Peter Bond then offered a witness £300 to "keep his mouth shut", Warrington Crown Court was told.

Bond, 22, of Woodridge, Runcorn, admitted aggravated vehicle taking, attempting to pervert the course of justice and obtaining employment by deception.

He was ordered to perform 240 hours' community service.

Mark Roberts, prosecuting, said Bond worked as a security office on the Greenall's brewery site in Stockton Heath and one night while on duty he took his girlfriend for a spin around an empty car park in a car he was meant to be guarding.

He ended up hitting a lamp post, causing £3,900 damage in total.

He was then seen by another officer to interfere with the security cameras - it was later found scenes were missing from the video.

Bond told the second officer: "There'll be money in it if you keep your mouth shut" and later offered him £300.

Eventually, Bond was arrested and it was discovered he had previous convictions for threatening behaviour and obstructing police which his employers were unaware of.

Daniel Frieze, defending, said the offences were moments of naive stupidity.

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