A MAN slapped with a ten year driving ban found himself back before the courts after he stole a car while more than three times the drink drive limit and smashed it into oncoming traffic before fleeing the scene.

When police arrived at the scene of the crash on Trowbridge Road in Bradford on Avon they caught up with Stephen Panes and needed hospital treatment and he was admitted to the Royal United Hospital in Bath. There he provided blood samples that showed he had 241mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. The legal driving limit is 80mg.

On Monday the 44-year-old, formerly of Beyon Drive, Cam, Dursley, but now of Southfield Road, Bradford on Avon, pleaded guilty to all of the charges of driving with excess alcohol, aggravated vehicle taking, driving without insurance and driving whilst disqualified. He further pleaded guilty to missing his day at Chippenham Magistrates’ Court on June 23 which saw him presented to the bench at Swindon from custody.

Crown prosecutor Keith Ballinger explained that Panes had been banned from driving in May 2008 for a period of ten years. This had been appealed and reduced to five years, on the requirement that he completed an extended retest to get his licence back – which he has not completed.

On March 7 Panes had been drinking in Trowbridge with the owner of the 02-plate Renault Kangoo that he would later get behind the wheel of.

“At around 9.35pm he was driving along the A363 Trowbridge Road at Bradford on Avon when he tried to negotiate a bend but went over on to the opposite carriageway and collided with a car,” said Mr Ballinger. “He continued on and collided with another vehicle. He got out of the car and was followed by one of the other drivers who believed him to be drunk.”

Defending him, Jeremy Griffiths said: “He thought these days were behind him. He says the reason he fell off the good road he has followed since 2008 is because a good friend of his who had been undergoing chemotherapy had died who also had some drink issues. This depressed him greatly and it has been dawning on him that he only has a short period of time to get his issues under control.”

Sentencing him, chairman of the bench Peter Wells said: “You came prepared to go to prison today and we were definitely of that view ourselves.”

He imposed three 18 week prison sentences for the charge of aggravated vehicle taking, excess alcohol and driving whilst disqualified, with each sentence to run concurrently.

“However, we have seen from your record that being in prison doesn’t seem to make any difference – instead we think you need the help of the probation service. Your 18 week prison sentence will be suspended for 18 months.”

During that time he must work with the probation service and will be curfewed for the next six months between 6pm and 6am, seven days a week, which will be electronically monitored. He must also pay £85 Crown Prosecution Service costs and £115 victim surcharge.

Mr Wells also imposed a two year driving ban.