A MAN who took a car before crashing it, later turned up at an airport inebriated, hoping to board a holiday flight, a court was told.

Events that night, in June last year, have led to perpetrator, Ricky Paul Killeen, spending the last eight-and-a-half months behind bars, having remained out of trouble for almost 13 years.

Durham Crown Court was told a Toyota C-HR Dynamic was taken in Fair View, Burnhope, some time late on Sunday June 16, last year.

Jonathan Gittins, prosecuting, said it was found abandoned outside a house in West Denton, Newcastle, having apparently struck and damaged a wall, in the early hours the following morning.

Both front doors were open, the air bag was deployed and its lights were flashing.

A mobile phone was recovered from the drivers’ side of the vehicle, carried Killeen’s name and photograph.

Mr Gittins said it was later examined and was found to have been active in the area and at about the time the vehicle was taken.

A nearby parked Fiat vehicle was found as was the wall and the Toyota, which had to be written off.

Mr Gittins said police received a call from the duty manager of Newcastle International Airport at about 2am and Killeen was approached by officers, who noticed he smelled of drink.

He said he arrived at the airport by taxi, and was waiting to board a flight to Ibiza.

In interview he told police he was a passenger in the Toyota that night, but claimed he did not know it was stolen and was not driving.

Mr Gittins said the Toyota owner was left £2,280 out of pocket, while the home owner’s insurance company covered the cost of the wall, but he had to pay £2,000 to pay for cosmetic damage to the house.

The Fiat suffered £3,000 worth of damage and its owner was left £500 out of pocket.

Killeen, 35, from Stanley, admitted aggravated vehicle taking and no insurance.

The court heard he has five past convictions, the last, for causing grievous bodily harm with intent, being in 2006, for which he was released in 2010.

Steven Reed, mitigating, said due to offence in June last year, Killeen was recalled to prison on December 3 for the 2006 matter, an indeterminate sentence imposed for public protection, and has remained in custody since.

He will only be released when the Parole Board consider it safe to allow it, with his next review on September 18.

Mr Reed added that from his release in 2010 Killeen remained out of trouble until the latest incident.

Judge Ray Singh, who read letters submitted from the defendants’ family members about the impact of him being away from them.

He said he would take into account the “significant time” Killeen has been away from his family and imposed an eight-month prison sentence, with a 16-month driving disqualification.