A drink and drug driver left his friend in intensive care after getting behind the wheel after five hours in the pub.
Grant Bourn drove a friend's BMW in an "almost suicidal" way while over the limit for cocaine and alcohol. His back seat passenger had told him to slow down before he lost control and slammed into a tree, leaving the other man badly injured.
Newcastle Crown Court heard Bourn had admired another pal's car when they started chatting in The Lake pub in South Shields, on December 27 2021 and was given the chance to "have a go" in it. CCTV from the pub showed Bourn had been "consuming numerous drinks over a five hour period" before he got into the car.
