A SON wrote off two cars and damaged two others when he took his mother's car to go down to the local shops, York magistrates heard.

Carl Joseph Millar, 33, crashed into three parked cars on Main Street, Copmanthorpe, on October 9, said Jessica Lister, prosecuting.

He told police later he was looking down at the car radio as he went round a corner and didn't have a chance to brake or take avoiding action.

Emily Calman, for Millar, said his life and mental state at the time was such that "he didn't have a clue what he was doing. He was in a state of just moving about and going through the motions".

Millar, of Drome Road, Copmanthorpe, pleaded guilty to careless driving, taking a vehicle without consent and driving without insurance.

He was banned from driving for six months and when he gets his licence back, will still have nine points on it from earlier speeding offences.

He was also given a 12-month community order with 100 hours' unpaid work and 20 rehabilitative activity days. He was also ordered to pay £300 compensation to the owner of one of the cars and £150 to another.

Magistrates said they had taken into account his lack of income when setting the compensation amounts.

Ms Lister said of Millar: "He took his mother's vehicle intending to go to meet his boss at the local shops."

She didn't know that he was driving it until he rang her from the crash scene.

Her car was written off as was one of the parked cars.

The owner of one of the damaged cars had repaired it himself as he was a car mechanic, but had lost £648 through lost business as he was self-employed and needed it for work

The owner of the other damaged car had spent £281.52 getting it repaired.

Ms Calman said: "He is completely remorseful for his behaviour."

He was now seeking help for his mental health problems from his GP.

Copmanthorpe shops are 0.6 miles from Drome Road.