A BARROW drink driver told magistrates it was the 'worst day of his life' after being jailed.

Bradley Gradidge was already banned from driving when he took the complainant’s BMW 1 series at 1.30 am on February 1 this year while he was sleeping, prosecutor Peter Kelly told South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court.

Mr Kelly said the vehicle was taken from an address in Crawley, West Sussex.

He added Gradidge and the complainant had no connection to one another.

It was also not disclosed to the court exactly where the 28-year-old took the vehicle from and why he chose to do so.

The court heard police officers were alerted to the vehicle when the defendant collided with ‘roadside furniture’ after he had attempted a manoeuvre at a roundabout.

Mr Kelly said police breathalysed two passengers at the roadside on Effingham Road, Dukes Head.

They provided positive breath samples for alcohol but police were still suspicious as a third male (the defendant) had ‘run off’, the court heard.

The defendant was located soon after and took full responsibility for driving and the collision, the court was told.

He was breathalysed and provided a lowest reading of 43 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath at the police station.

The legal limit to drive is 35 microgrammes.

Police inquiries at the time revealed Gradidge had been disqualified from driving seven months prior at South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court for failing to provide a specimen of breath for analysis.

Gradidge, of Chester Place in Barrow, pleaded guilty at the first opportunity at South Cumbria Magistrates Court on April 4 to driving while disqualified, aggravated vehicle taking and vehicle damage of £5,000 or over, drink driving, and driving without third party insurance.

Geoff White, representing the defendant, said his client’s emotions were running high following the death of an associate.

Mr White said: “My client tells me the car was modified. He says that the traction control was reduced and as a result he crashed.

“The vehicle was repatriated to the original owner, although it was a write off.”

The court heard Gradidge was subject to a community order at the time.

Magistrates took the decision that immediate custody could be the only outcome due to the seriousness of the offences.

Gradidge was jailed for 16 weeks and disqualified from driving for an additional 40 months.

He was also ordered to pay £85 in court costs and a £154 surcharge.

Before being escorted into custody by court prison officers, the defendant told magistrates: “I’m sorry. This is the worst day of my life.”