A BANNED driver from Shepton Beauchamp who stole his mother’s car and was seen driving “like an idiot” in a Yeovil car park then spat at a police officer when he was arrested.

Darren Wines helped himself to the vehicle and drove round the car park of Morrisons supermarket during the recent fall of snow for over 15 minutes getting faster and faster.

Witnesses said the car was covered in large dents and when one of the wheels came off he continued to drive on the metal rim before stopping and asking them if they had a jack.

When the police were called to the scene they arrested the defendant who began kicking out and then deliberately spat straight into the face of one of the officers, Somerset Magistrates were told.

Wines, 20, of Piece Lane, pleaded guilty to taking a Ford Fiesta without the owner’s consent and driving it dangerously in Morrisons car park in Yeovil on January 31.

He also admitted driving a vehicle while disqualified and without insurance and assaulting a police constable acting in his function as an emergency worker on the same date.

He also pleaded guilty to a previous offence of taking a Skoda Octavia without the owner’s consent at South Petherton on July 30 last year and committed fraud at Mcdonalds in Yeovil by using a stolen credit card to buy food on the same date.

The court at Yeovil was told that Wines was disqualified from driving until April 4 this year, but on January 31 he took his mother’s car and was seen driving erratically in Morrisons car park on Lysander Road.

Prosecutor Suzie Butler said that a witness was in the car park at 10.30pm and saw the defendant doing donut turns on a covering of snow and he continued driving for around 15 minutes.

“His driving was getting faster and faster and a group of people nearby were concerned for their safety and could see a large number of dents on the roof and side of the vehicle,” she said.

“One of the wheels on the car came off completely and Wines then approached the group and asked for a jack so they called the police.”

His mother called the police to report her car had been stolen and said she had not given her permission for Wines to drive it.

He was disqualified from driving, not insured and had no licence, and when the police arrived they discovered the car had serious damage, a missing front tyre and the wheel rim had been driven on.

Miss Butler said: “When the police asked him if he had been driving round the car park like an idiot he replied “I was a bit”.

“He was put in a police car and tried to kick out at the window so was arrested, and when the defendant’s friend put a water bottle to Wines’s mouth the officer told him not to.

“The defendant then spat directly into the constable’s face which went into his eyes and a spit hood was then put over his head and he was taken to Bridgwater police station.”

The magistrates refused to accept jurisdiction for the case saying they did not feel they had adequate powers of punishment.

They ordered Wines to be committed to Taunton Crown Court for sentence on March 15 and in the meantime released him on unconditional bail and imposed an interim driving ban.