Adam Perry turned onto Euston Grove at excessive speed, and hit the wall of the shop opposite deliberately, according to Craig Stewart, one of his passengers.

Adam Luke David Perry, 21, of Wakefield Avenue, More-cambe, pleaded guilty to driving while over the drink-drive limit and driving without due care and attention when he appeared at Lancaster Magis-trates Court.

The court heard that around 3am on June 21, Perry offered the couple he had met at the Queens Hotel in Morecambe that night a lift home.

While driving, Perry received a call on his mobile and said he was dropping a mate off and hadn't been drinking.

He turned onto Euston Grove speeding and crashed into Morecambe Quality Furniture causing about £6,000 worth of damage to the window and wall underneath.

Smoke started pouring from the car and the defendant was laughing and trying to restart the engine.

The two passengers, Kelly Codling and Craig Stewart, got out and stood on the pavement.

Police arrived and saw Perry's red Peugeot half on the pavement with the front end damaged and glass everywhere.

Perry was bleeding from his nose and Miss Codling required hospital treatment for whiplash and cuts to her chest and hip.

At the scene, Perry said to police: "I was driving, it's not their fault."

Perry was arrested and a breath test at the police station revealed he was just under twice the drink-drive limit.

Defending, Rachel Hood told the court that on the night in question, Perry was going out of his way to give the couple a lift home.

"He refutes the statement that he crashed the car on purpose.

"He had only bought the car the week before.

"He simply lost control going round the corner."

Chairman of the bench, Mr Lamley said: "You were driving nearly twice over the legal drink-drive limit, you drove carelessly and it was a bad accident resulting in injuries to a passenger and damage to a property."

Magistrates handed Perry a community order with supervision for nine months for the offence of driving with excess alcohol and ordered him to complete 80 hours' unpaid work.

There was no separate penalty for driving without due care and attention.

Perry was also disqualified from driving for three years and ordered to pay £43 court costs.