A TEENAGE drink driver who took somebody else’s car without permission crashed into a house, injuring the occupants.

Although the three people who were in the living room of the Penrith property sustained only minor injuries, emergency repairs had to be carried out to prevent the house from collapsing, magistrates heard.

At Carlisle’s Rickergate court, 19-year-old Ramon Burcacel admitted four offences: drink driving, aggravated vehicle taking, being uninsured, and having no licence.

Prosecutor Pam Ward said the incident which led to the teenager’s prosecution happened two days before Christmas Day, when he took a man’s S Class Mercedes without asking for permission. 

“He drove towards Lowther Court in Penrith,” said Mrs Ward.

“While there, the car hit the kerb and then collided with the ground floor living room wall of the property, causing significant structural damage to the property. There was a family of three living there at the time.

“They sustained minor injuries. One of the occupants was a young child.”

The owner of the property had told police emergency structural repair work was carried out to support the property and prevent it from suffering “total collapse”. The occupants, meanwhile, have had to be rehomed.

Mrs Ward continued: “At the moment, the owner knows that he has to pay at least £1,000 to cover his insurance excess; and he says that the council are going to send him a bill for making the property safe.

“He must be concerned as he doesn’t know how much the final bill will come to.”

When police carried out a breath test on the defendant, whose address was given as Southend Road, Penrith, the reading recorded was 81mcg of alcohol in every 100mls of breath.

The legal limit for driving is 35mcg.

The teenager’s defence lawyer Steven Marsh said that he would not at this point offer any mitigation since a background report is to be prepared on Burcacel before he is sentenced by the court.

Adjourning the case until February 7, magistrates told the defendant that he is now subjected to an interim driving ban. The ultimate length of the ban will be decided on the day of sentence.