Chesterfield youth who blamed "Dave" banned after hedge crash in stolen car

Unlicensed driver Daniel Benjafield, 21, botched a turn out of a junction while six times above the legal drive limit for cocaine - piling it straight into shrubbery on Matlock Road.

When police arrived at the scene at about 4.20am on August 10 last year they saw Benjafield “duck down” in the driver’s side - leaning across and exiting the passenger side.

Prosecutor Emma Cornell told Chesterfield Magistrate’s Court the clearly “intoxicated” 21-year-old initially gave the name “Daniel Flannagan” - however police confirmed his true identity with a wallet search.

He also denied having driven the car - claiming a friend known as “Dave” had driven.

Ms Cornell described how the Fiesta Benjafield was driving was taken from its owner’s address possibly after she dropped its keys outside.

Benjafield, of Hartington Road, Spital, was handed a 12-month community order and two 12-month concurrent driving bans.

He admitted driving above the alcohol limit, driving without insurance, driving without a licence, aggravated vehicle taking and driving while unfit through drugs.

A magistrate told him: “The whole thing is pretty woeful - you’re extremely close to a custodial sentence.”

Solicitor Ben Strelley told the court: “(Benjafield) is 21 years of age - this was immaturity on his part and a lack of consequential thinking.”

Benjafield was also given 12 rehabilitation activity days, a 10-week curfew, made to pay £85 court costs, £95 victim surcharge and £300 compensation.

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