A DRINK-DRIVER travelled without his lights on and crashed into another car, causing £300 damage.

Police first saw 21-year-old James Brown driving erratically and hitting a kerb, Ashford magistrates were told.

Alison Gurden, prosecuting, told the court that Brown had been seen in Chart Road, Ashford, at 3am on January 27, driving a blue Vauxhall Corsa and was followed by an officer in an unmarked car.

Miss Gurden said: “The Corsa was driving without lights and hit a kerb. It then stopped and Mr Brown was seen to get out.

“The office stopped him and Mr Brown tried to walk away but had to be physically kept at the scene.”

Miss Gurden said that the area was searched and a silver Audi was found to have scratches and dents to the driver’s door and a wheel arch from Brown’s car.

She said: “He agreed he had been drinking but was not aware of the collision at the time.”

Brown, of Priory Way, Tenterden, was found to have 95 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath when the limit is 35.

He admitted to driving with excess alcohol, having no insurance, failing to stop after an accident, having no test certificate and not driving in compliance with his licence.

The court heard that he only had a provisional licence but was alone and unsupervised when driving.

Andrew Gurney, for Brown, said that the facts were not disputed but that Brown was of previous good character.

Mr Gurney said: “He had been drinking with friends and they egged him on to drive.”

He said Brown’s parents had bought the Corsa and he was waiting to pass his driving test.

Magistrates imposed a 12-month community order on Brown and banned him from driving for 24 months.

He was also ordered to pay £300 compensation towards the cost of repairing the damaged Audi and £65 costs.