A drink-driver was on the telephone to his girlfriend during a ‘ridiculous escapade’ when he crashed and overturned the car he had taken without permission, or a driving licence.

Steven Vizor, of Parc y Ffordd, Carmarthen, appeared from custody at Haverfordwest magistrates court on Monday, September 9.

Vizor, 29, pleaded guilty to taking a vehicle without consent, driving while disqualified, while over the legal alcohol limit, and without third-party insurance.

Vaughan Pritchard-Jones, prosecuting, said Vizor took a black Chevrolet without the owner’s permission on September 8, after receiving a call from his girlfriend.

Vizor dropped his phone while driving through Slebech to collect his girlfriend from Haverfordwest, and hit the kerb while trying to recover it from the foot-well.

He lost control of the car which ended up on its roof, was found to have 64mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, the legal limit is 35mg.

Mr Pritchard-Jones said: “This young man was somewhat fortunate to have walked away unmarked.”

He added that Vizor had posed a danger to the public, and had been disqualified from driving for three years in June.

Mike Kelleher, defending, said: “No-body knows how ridiculous this was, or how stupid he has been more than the defendant.”

Mr Kelleher added Vizor had been ‘completely open and honest’ with the police, stating that he had been on the phone to his girlfriend before the accident, as she had been in ‘some difficulties in Haverfordwest’.

Mr Kelleher added that Vizor’s girlfriend had found herself upset and alone in a town she was not familiar with and called Vizor for assistance.

“Very, very foolishly, he jumped in the vehicle and went off to meet her.

“It was a stupid thing to do, but at the time it was loyalty to his girlfriend that got him into this absolute mess.

“While what he did was wrong, the motives were good.”

Magistrates sent Vizor to prison for 18 weeks and banned him from driving for three years. He was ordered to pay £107 in costs and a surcharge.

The chairman of the bench said: “It was a ridiculous escapade. It was a particularly disastrous evening which could have had more serious consequences.”