A Knowle man caught driving dangerously in a stolen car ruined a family’s Christmas, according to a court chief.
Michael Mullen was spotted in a stolen Fiat Punto and led police in a high-speed pursuit before crashing into a hedge.
Bristol Crown Court heard the car owner accidentally left the keys in the £800 car and was unable to claim insurance for damage to the vehicle.
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This meant that instead of giving his family Christmas presents, he had to invest in another car.
Mullen, 35, of Kildare Road, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving and driving while disqualified and uninsured.
Judge Anna Richardson said there was absolutely no doubt the offenses warranted imprisonment.
But she recognized that Mullen had a four-year gap since his last offense and that he could be seen reaching an age of maturity and change.
She handed the father-to-be 14 months in prison suspended for 24 months.
The sentence includes a thinking skills program, six months of drug rehabilitation, and 100 hours of unpaid labor.
Mullen was banned from driving for three years and required to pass an advanced driving test.
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Ian Fenny, prosecutor, said the Fiat was stolen from Novers Road in Bristol on the evening of November 26 last year.
Police spotted him on Wells Road but when they tried to stop him he sped away, the court heard.
Mr Fenny described how Mullen drove the wrong way round a roundabout, dodged oncoming traffic and reached a speed of 80km/h through a 30km/h zone.
The court was told he narrowly missed parked cars and two pedestrians.
Mr Fenny said: “He lost control, narrowly missing other parked cars and sped through a junction where he came to a stop in a hedge.”
The police who arrested him found that he had a passenger.
The owner of the stolen car, a caretaker, said he was stressed out by the loss of his car and was broke.
This meant he had to spend money on taxis to get to work and school and divert funds to buy Christmas presents for his children.
Susan Cavender, defending herself, said: “Mr Mullen has a very long history of drug abuse
“Substance abuse drove his list of criminal offenses.”
Miss Cavender said her client was a candidate for drug rehabilitation and was desperate for any chance he was given.
She told the court, “Essentially, this is a plea for clemency.”
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