A young man and his girlfriend took a car belonging to a man who had offered them a home - and crashed it.

Kristen Dean and his partner Deborah Loughran, both of Irvine’s Sloan Avenue, appeared at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last week. Dean, 20, pled guilty to taking and driving away a car without having the consent of the owner.

He also admitted to driving a car over the drink-drive limit and without holding a valid licence.

Loughran, also 20, pled guilty to allowing herself to travel in a car which she knew to have been taken without the owner’s consent.

The court heard the two accused were living in the home of a friend in Ardrossan and that the householder was also the owner of the vehicle involved in the offence.

On August 16, the couple were consuming alcohol together. The next morning, they decided to go out for a drive, with Loughran suggesting they use the householder’s car to do this.

The pair then took the man’s car key from the living room without his knowledge and made off in the vehicle with Dean driving.

They were driving in the Parkhouse Road area of Ardrossan when the car struck a metal railing to the side of the road.

The vehicle catapulted across the road and came to a stop facing the wrong direction and blocking the middle of the road.

Both Dean and Loughran left the vehicle and ran off.

Witnesses living in the area heard the bang and contacted police. Police traced the vehicle to the car owner’s home address.

He told them that he had no knowledge of his car being used.

Dean was interviewed by officers and made full admissions that he had been driving.

He was also found to have 33 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

The legal limit in Scotland is 22 micrograms in 100 millilitres.

Defending Dean, solicitor Colin McLaughlin said that his client was on state benefits but had “made efforts to get employment” including being involved in the demolition of the Magnum.

Mr McLaughlin added: “His Lordship will see from the report he is a man who has had a difficult upbringing. He does have issues with alcohol and it does lead to offences. This is his first road traffic offence. He’s still young, only 20.”

Representing Loughran, solicitor Alex Muir said that his client was also unemployed, adding: “She’s been in trouble a couple of times in the past.”

Sheriff Michael Hanlon said: “Mr Dean, you have got a record for dishonesty and it seems you have continued to offend so I’m going to impose a Community Payback Order with 12 months supervision as a direct alternative to custody.”

Dean was also given a Restriction of Liberty Order, disqualified from driving for 12 months, fined £100, and had his licence endorsed. Loughran was ordered to carry out 60 hours of work.

Sheriff Hanlon said: “Miss Loughran, it seems that you instigated this drive which has unfortunate consequences not just for you but for Mr Dean.”