A DRINK-DRIVER who ‘couldn’t believe his luck’ when he was able to steal the keys to a car from a resident’s garage has pleaded guilty to taking a Toyota.

Burt Neil, 20, of Sutton Way, Ellesmere Port, admitted going into the unlocked garage in Whitby and stealing the keys worth £100 in the early hours of Saturday.

Neil then took the Toyota car and drove it around Cavendish Gardens despite having no licence and no insurance.

Catherine Whincup, prosecuting, told the court a police officer in a patrol car was alerted to the stolen vehicle and saw it speed off, driving in excess of 60mph.

When Neil stopped the car near his home address, he was found by the officer and said: “I give up.”

A breath test reading showed he had 79 microgrammes of alcohol in his breath, more than twice the legal limit of 35.

Richard Simm, defending, said Neil had been drinking on the Friday, was near his home address and saw a garage and the keys hung up.

Mr Simm added: “In a moment of stupidity, he has seen the keys and couldn’t believe his luck.

“Within 20 seconds of the vehicle coming out of the garage the complainant has rung the police – it’s all happened within a very short space of time. There is no damage to the car or the garage doors and the car has been recovered.”

The court also heard Neil had been a victim of burglary, and after police searched his home address following his arrest, his property had been burgled again.

Magistrates adjourned the case until July 19 for a pre-sentence report to be prepared by the probation service.

Neil was handed an interim driving ban and was refused bail.