A driver who has never taken his test and sped along country lanes in Gower while three times the the drink-drive limit has been told he is lucky he did not kill or serious injure someone.

Wayne Brynley Rogers took a friend's car without his knowledge and went "joy riding" - at one stage overtaking two cars at speed while going into a blind bend.

Swansea Crown Court heard Rogers has 59 previous convictions for 157 offences - and had been given a community order just two days before taking the car.

The court heard 35-year-old Rogers was part of a group of people drinking in the White Rose pub in Mumbles on April 12 this year.

When the brother of Rogers' then-girlfriend left the group to go to the toilet, the defendant took his car keys from the table - and then his Vauxhall Corsa from outside the pub.

Wayne Brynley Rogers has previous convictions for 157 offences
Wayne Brynley Rogers has previous convictions for 157 offences

Ian Ibrahim, prosecuting, said the missing car was seen a short time later being driven erratically and at speed on the roads between Bishopston and Pennard in Gower - at one stage it overtook two cars on the approach to a blind bend, and then mounted the grass verge at the side of the road and struck a rock causing one of the rear tyres to deflate.

The court heard a motorist was so concerned about the manner in which the car was being driven that he followed Rogers. The motorist found the car near Heatherslade Road in Southgate - it had collided with a parked car, and Rogers was slumped over the driver's wheel.

Mr Ibrahim said Rogers then tried to drive away, but the concerned motorist removed the keys from the ignition and called police - by now officers had received a number of calls about a car being driven dangerously around the lanes of Gower, and were in the area looking for the offending Corsa.

Officers were quickly on the scene and arrested Rogers as he was walking towards Pennard Stores - after being arrested and cautioned, he swore at officers.

A breath test showed he had 103 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - the legal limit is 35.

Rogers, of Clas yr Onnen, Waunarlwydd , had previously pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving, driving with excess alcohol, driving while disqualified, driving without a licence or insurance, failing to stop after an accident, and failing to surrender to bail - a earlier missed court appointment - when he appeared in the dock via videolink for sentencing.

The court heard he has 59 previous convictions for 157 offences including ones for dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, and driving with excess alcohol. He has never taken a driving test.

Andrew Evans, for Rogers, said his client was realistic about the sentence he was facing.

Judge Geraint Walters told Rogers he had been "joy riding" around the narrow lanes of Gower while three times the limit, putting not only himself but other road users at risk, and that he needed to "grow up".

He told the defendant it was only a matter of luck that he hadn't caused serious injury or even death by his actions behind the wheel - and that members of the public were "rightly fed-up with people not treating the roads with respect".

He added that people may be surprised to know that the maximum sentence available for the charges facing Rogers was one of two years - and that many were forcefully calling for stiffer penalties for dangerous driving, and driving with excess alcohol.

For aggravated vehicle taking Rogers was sentenced to 12 months in prison, for dangerous driving to 12 months, for driving with excess alcohol to 12 months, for driving while disqualified to four months, and for failing to surrender to bail to one month - all the sentences will run concurrently with one another making a total sentence of 12 months. For failing to stop after an accident for having no insurance, no separate penalty was imposed but his licence was endorsed. Rogers was further disqualified from driving for three years.

The defendant will serve half the 12-month sentence in prison before being released on licence.

The judge revoked the community order Rogers had been subject to.

Judge Walters also said the motorist who had taken the car keys of Rogers should be commended for his actions.