A 25-YEAR-OLD man took his mum’s car without permission and then crashed it into bollards and street signs.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Richard Brian Conner was found to be more than three and a half times the drink drive limit.

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O’Conner, 25, of Cliff Street, Rishton, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol and without insurance and unauthorised taking aggravated by damage caused. He was sentenced to 20 weeks in prison suspended for 18 months, made subject to community supervision for 18 months and fined £200 with £165 costs. He was also banned from driving for 42 months.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said the defendant’s mother had parked her car outside her house at 6.45 pm and hung the keys on a hook in the kitchen.

At 8pm O’Conner went into Rishton Working Men’s Club, clearly drunk and with a set of car keys in his hand.

At some stage he had crashed the car into bollards and road signs at the Co-op on Harwood Road.

When police approached the car he sped off but was located on Brook Street and arrested.

A subsequent breath sample reading was 128 against the legal limit of 35.

Miss Allan said O’Conner had a previous conviction for drink-driving in 2010.

Gareth Price, defending, said at the time of the offences his client was in a very emotional state.

“He had been in court a few days earlier charged with assault arising out of a domestic falling out,” said Mr Price.

“The prosecution decided the incident was more serious, laid an additional charge. On this day, having left work, he went on what can only be described as a drinking binge.”

He said despite being deeply disappointed by her son's behaviour O'Conner's mother had attended court to support her son.