Passenger suffered brain injuries after driver stole car in Leeds

Brett Brown, 24, ploughed into a van after mounting the kerb as he drove home from the party in Leeds on November 30 last year.

Brown was uninjured in the collision but his passenger was knocked unconscious.

Leeds Crown court heard the man suffered a bleed on the brain and had to be treated in an intensive care unit.

Mehran Nassiri, prosecuting, said Brown had been at a party with his brother in Kirkstall and they had made arrangements to stay overnight.

He took the Vauxhall Corsa after his brother had gone to bed and drove it seven miles to the Middleton area of the city.

Brown struck the van on Acre Road, causing £18,000 of damage. A witness spoke to Brown who said: “I’m OK but my mate is written off.”

He added: “I can’t go down for this.”

Brown ran from the scene but returned a short time later and handed himself over to police. The court heard Brown’s friend was off work for three months due to his injuries. Brown, of Throstle Square, Middleton, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking, failing to provide a breath specimen, having no insurance and having no licence.

He has previous convictions for offences including robbery and burglary.

Ian Cook, mitigating, said Brown had not been in trouble for six years before the incident and had been working hard to change his life.

Brown was given a 15 month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to do 250 hours unpaid work.

He was banned from driving for two years. Recorder Bryan Cox, QC, said: “You could easily have killed somebody.”