A young soldier who stole a car while drunk and drove it without motor insurance begged a judge to send him to prison.
Jason Robert Spencer appeared at court in Wirral following his theft of a car in Catterick, North Yorkshire. Well over the drink-drive limit, he drove over a hundred miles before smashing into traffic lights in Birkenhead.
Police attending the scene of the incident breathalysed the 19-year-old and immediately arrested him. It was also later discovered that he had no driving licence or car insurance.
Asking the bench to impose a jail sentence, he told how he was desperate to get out of the army and knew he was to face a court-martial. He added that he realised prison was not an accommodation bureau but wanted to go into custody to aid his release from the job that he claimed was depressing him.
District Judge Nick Saunders banned Spencer from the road for 16 months, ordered him to pay £80 costs and gave him his wish of a jail term, sentencing him to spend six weeks in a young offenders' institute.
A spokesman from Hoot Car Insurance Services, the internet's top young driver car insurance providers, commented, "It does seem rather extreme to ask to be sent to prison in order get out of the army.
"If he ever decides to pass a driving test, this young man will now find it a job to get cheap car insurance, although a specialist young driver car insurance firm may be able to help.