Jail for driver who hit house

Barlby resident Steven Howard Smith, 26, left debris strewn across the road when he smashed through a fence, crashed into the property in Selby Road, Fulford, York, and hit a parish council sign and telephone pole, said Shabir Merali, prosecuting, at York Crown Court.

Then Smith continued his flight, with sparks flying from the rear of his damaged Sierra, until he drove the wrong way up a slip road on to the A64 outer ring road and crashed into the grass verge.

The chase had begun after he had hit the kerb in Fawcett Street, York, while driving without lights at 2.20am on June 24. Police officers in a patrol car saw the incident and ordered him to stop. But he sped off at more than 60 mph down Fulford Road.

Smith, of Cherry Tree Court, refused to give a breath test when police caught up with him.

He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, failure to take a breath test and driving without insurance, and was jailed for 21 months, banned from driving for four years and ordered to take an extended driving test.

The Recorder of York, Judge Paul Hoffman, told him: "You must be put off the road."

The court was told that Smith had three previous convictions for drink-driving offences, and others for driving while disqualified. At the time of the chase, he was on bail for drink-driving and driving while banned.

Mr Merali said Smith caused £900 damage to the fence, £1,500 to the building, £250 to the council sign and £2,000 to the telephone pole.

For Smith, Andrew Semple said the owners of the house were away for the weekend at the time of the incident.

Smith, who works at Flamingo Land, near Malton, took to drink after he was beaten up a few years ago, and his drinking intensified after he unexpectedly gained custody of his child. But since the crash he had cut back on his drinking and had turned a corner in his life.

Updated: 10:25 Monday, November 21, 2005