Dean Road house crash: Drink-driver crashed girlfriend's Mercedes into house, then drove off to pub with bricks and debris 'flying off car'

Jason Matheson, who did not have permission to drive the GL 350 motor, eventually abandoned the car, which had burst tyres after the smash, and was arrested with a pint of beer in his hand.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the 45-year-old, who was three times the drink-drive limit, had already hit two cars before he smashed the vehicle into the house at Dean Road, South Shields, on June 6.

Matheson, of Ashton View, Harehills, Leeds, admitted aggravated vehicle taking, driving while unfit through drink, having no licence and no insurance.

Mr Recorder David Brooke QC sentenced him to 15 months behind bars with a three-year road ban.

The judge told him: "There were bits of brick and other debris falling off the car, presumably from the house.

"You went for a distance then went straight to the pub where police found you drinking.

"It was a pretty disastrous, appalling piece of driving.

"You said you had been drinking non-stop since you got out of prison in January."

Prosecutor Michael Bunch told the court Matheson had spent the weekend with a woman he had formed a relationship with and had a "significant amount to drink" before they fell out and he took the car to drive back to Yorkshire.

Mr Bunch said: "He had driven three miles from the location where the vehicle was parked before arriving on Dean Road, South Shields.

"At that location the vehicle collided with two other vehicles, both of which were mobile at the time, before colliding with the address."

The court heard one witness saw the Mercedes "swerving all over the road" and going onto the wrong side of the road before it hit a Nissan and a Corsa, causing some damage.

After the collisions, Matheson tried to take a sharp right turn and smashed into the house, while the occupant was out.

Mr Bunch said Matheson had briefly got out of the vehicle at the scene and a witness wrestled his bag from him but he then got back in and drove off.

Mr Bunch said: "He continued to drive onto the main A194 and travelled over two roundabouts. Witnesses describe the vehicle struggling, going really slowly.

"The tyres had burst.

"Bits of bricks and debris were flying off the car and onto the road."

The court heard Matheson then abandoned the car and asked someone for directions to a nearby Metro station.

But Mr Bunch added: "He decided to stop at the pub on the way to the Metro and was arrested nearby by officers, with a pint in his hand."

The court heard Matheson had been given an indefinite jail term in 2007 for violence and served 10 years.

He was recalled to prison after he was convicted of burglary in 2017 and had been released just months before the driving offences.

John Crawford, defending, said Matheson's memory of what happened is "very poor" and added: "That may well be as a result of the drink he had and the fact he himself also suffered a head injury as a result of the collision."

Mr Crawford said Matheson has suffered blackouts while in custody on remand and has other health issues.

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