A MAN who crashed a car into a lamppost while nearly three times the legal drink-driving limit has never held a licence, a court was told.

Bradley Thornton, pictured right, who has a history of alcohol-fuelled violence, lost control of his girlfriend's Vauxhall Vectra and mounted the kerb late at night at a busy city junction.

Plymouth Magistrates' Court was told that the couple ran away but were arrested nearby.

He was breathalysed and found to have 102 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Thornton, of Cattedown Road, admitted driving with excess alcohol, driving without due care and attention, driving with no insurance and otherwise than in accordance with a licence, on May 9.

He also admitted being in breach of two conditional discharges for shoplifting and failing to surrender to bail.

Thornton was jailed for two- and-a-half years in 2006 for headbutting a drinking partner unconscious before kicking and punching him in the face. He admitted assault causing grievous bodily harm.

His solicitor said that he had in fact spent four years in jail in total between September 2005 and October 2009.

Thornton also has three previous convictions for common assault and one for affray.

Michael French, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said that Thornton and his partner had an "interchange of views" with the occupants of a Volkswagen Polo just after midnight at the junction of Milehouse Road and Outland Road.

He added: "Two pedestrians saw the Vectra lose control, mount the kerb and hit a lamppost."

Mr French said that Thornton and his girlfriend ran away but were arrested nearby.

The court was told that Thornton told the police he was not the driver. He claimed the people in the other car had been teasing his partner.

Roger Page, for Thornton, said that he had never applied for a driving licence and never been involved with motor vehicles.

He added that he had been in jail between September 2005 and October 2009 but was now trying to rehabilitate himself into the community.

District Judge Paul Farmer sentenced him to a 12-month community order under the supervision of probation. He will also have to complete the service's Thinking Skills programme, pay a fine of £100, £85 towards prosecution costs and £15 victim surcharge.

Mr Farmer said: "You have been released from prison relatively recently and you are at the point in your life where you have to choose whether you spend the majority of the rest of your life in prison. You have not seemed to have learnt the influence alcohol has on your life, especially your offending."