A DRUNK soldier crashed a friend's car then stood by as police accused and arrested his mate over the accident, York magistrates heard.

John Junior Dunhill, 21, had drunk several pints of lager during an evening out in York on March 2 with friends before driving into a central barrier in Tower Street, said Bob Moore, prosecuting. The car's owner, Gareth Davis, had given him the keys to his Corsa so that he could sit in it in The Castle car park. Dunhill had wanted some time alone to think about a phone call from his brother.

But after a bit, Dunhill felt hungry and drove off in search of food.

He lost control after a short distance and hit the central barrier.

After the crash, he parked the car in exactly the same place as before in the car park, returned to his friend in the Gallery nightclub and told him someone unknown had crashed into the Corsa.

But eyewitnesses to the Tower Street crash had called police who found Dunhill and his mates round the car. They arrested Mr Davis because he had the car keys.

Only the next day did Dunhill go to police and reveal that he was the man responsible.

Dunhill, of 9 Regiment, Army Air Corps, Dishforth Airfield, near Thirsk, admitted careless driving, failure to report an accident and driving without insurance.

He was ordered to pay £500 compensation to City of York Council for the damaged barrier, a £300 fine and £50 prosecution costs.

He was also banned from driving for 55 days. The court heard he passed his driving test in December 2004.

He told the court he had not realised he was uninsured.

At an earlier hearing, duty solicitor Harry Bayman said Dunhill had been in a quandary over what to do after the crash.

He had driven the Corsa and his friend from Dishforth to York. Before he did so, he had checked with his friend about insurance and believed he had been misled.

The group had intended at one stage to spend the night in York. He is due to serve on HMS Ocean in the near future.

Updated: 10:18 Thursday, July 28, 2005