A MAN crashed his dad’s car into a lamppost near Chester before running away from the scene, a court heard.

But Christopher John Bennett, 28, was later apprehended at his girlfriend’s house where officers noticed he smelled of booze and was swaying.

He pleaded guilty to failing to stop and also to failing to provide a specimen of breath when he was taken to the police station in Blacon.

Bennett initially claimed he had not been the driver but later admitted he was behind the wheel of his father’s VW Golf when it crashed on the A56 near Mickle Trafford at around 6.25pm on March 9.

However, he maintained that he was not intoxicated at the time and only had a drink after he had run to his partner’s house from the scene.

Bennett, of Mannings Lane South, Newton, Chester, was sentenced to a 12-month community order to include a 35-day rehabilitation activity requirement and a 7pm to 7am curfew for three months.

He was also disqualified from driving for 24 months and must pay court costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of the same amount.

Chester Magistrates Court heard a witness had spotted him skidding between two lanes as he approached a roundabout on the A56.

He then span out of control and crashed into a lamppost, leaving the car smoking and with a bumper missing, before running off.

Police traced the owner of the car and Bennett was located less than half an hour later at his girlfriend’s home where he was arrested.

At Blacon custody centre he became agitated shouting “who’s got my car?” and refused to provide a sample of breath.

It emerged Bennett was last in court in April 2017 when he received a community order for assaulting a police officer.

He also has convictions for failing to surrender and possession of cannabis.

Richard Simm, defending, said: “He accepts he was driving too fast to negotiate the roundabout and lost control, and when he crashes the vehicle then panicked and ran from the scene.”

Bennett is also said to suffer with serious headaches and could have bipolar disorder.

Sentencing him, chair of the magistrates’ bench Andrew Merrill said: “Your standard of driving and behaviour that night was reprehensible.”