Darren Sharpe, 24, has been jailed for 18 months after taking Lisa Mullender’s car and crashing it into Dawn Jowett’s home in Offerton, Stockport, Greater Manchester
A 4am joyride took a devastating turn when the driver lost control of the car and smashed into the side of a woman’s home.
The damage to Dawn Jowett’s end of terrace property in Offerton, Stockport, was so bad the mother-of-one is being forced to demolish it, with rebuilding costs of £200,000.
The crash came after bricklayer Darren Sharpe took Lisa Mullender’s Audi A4 because she had run out of alcohol and was ‘too drunk and high on cocaine’ to get any herself.
The 38-year-old mother-of-four had been throwing a housewarming party and let Sharpe, 24, go on a ‘booze run’.
But the bricklayer lost control of the sports car, sending it bouncing off the kerb, into a lamppost and then into the side of Ms Jowett’s home.
The damage is such that Mrs Jowett, who has a 15-year-old autistic son, is being forced to rent a second home while hers is being rebuilt.
Jailing Sharpe for 18-months at Minshull Street Crown Court, Judge John Edwards said: ‘You were incredibly fortunate that nobody was injured or killed in this accident, other than yourself and another person.
‘The consequences to Dawn Jowett have been profound. It has been recognised that she is having to rebuild her life and that is all down to you.’
Mrs Jowett said in a statement read aloud in court: ‘This house isn’t just bricks and mortar, it is my home.
The crash came after bricklayer Darren Sharpe took Lisa Mullender’s (pictured outside court) Audi A4 because she had run out of alcohol and was ‘too drunk and high on cocaine’
‘We lived there for 18 years and our child was born there. What happened has had a great impact on my life and my family’s life.
‘The fear I felt when the car hit the house was awful, there was smashed glass and petrol everywhere.
‘The police had to help us get out of the house and we weren’t allowed back in.
‘I have made a lifetime of memories in that home and no amount of compensation could give me back my home.
‘No amount of money can bring back the memories or personal items I had in that house.
‘I wanted to start a course to be a teaching assistant, but because of what has happened and with various meetings with the contractors of the house, I can no longer take up that job.
‘You’ve shown a lack of respect. I thank you for admitting what you have done but our lives will never be the same.’
Mullender’s white Audi A4 (pictured) went off the road and into Mrs Jowett’s home
The damage (pictured) is so bad Mrs Jowett, who has a 15-year-old autistic son, is being forced to rent a second home while her house is being rebuilt
Crash scene: Insurers have told Mrs Jowett her home in Offerton, Stockport (pictured) has been so badly damaged it will have to be rebuilt, which is costing her £200,000
Lisa Mullender’s Audi A4 came crashing into Dawn Jowett’s kitchen, destroying it completely
Dawn Jowett thought a gas pipe had exploded when she felt the devastating impact of the crash
Destroyed: There was a hole in the side of Mrs Jowett’s kitchen after the crash last year
The court heard how Mrs Jowett, 54, was upstairs in bed when she felt the huge crash.
At first she thought it was a gas explosion but ran downstairs to find the car stuck in her kitchen wall and water gushing from the pipes.
She had to crawl over rubble and through a hole in the wall to escape into the road.
Mrs Jowett’s son Kieran, whose bedroom was above the point of impact, escaped injury as he was having a sleepover at a friend’s house at the time.
The court how Mullender falsely tried to claim her £6,000 car had been stolen during a burglary but a neighbour saw her allowing Sharpe to get into car before it was seen ‘bunny hopping’ down the road.
He abandoned the car and was later arrested. He also had a passenger in the car who was just 16.
Sharpe (pictured) was jailed for 18 months at Minshull Street Crown Court, Greater Manchester
Mrs Jowett, a care worker, and her son have now had to move out of their home in Offerton, Stockport, Greater Manchester. It has since been condemned by her insurers and will now have to be pulled down.
Audi owner Mullender was given a nine month prison sentence suspended for a year at an earlier hearing after she pleaded guilty to perverting justice. She was also ordered to complete 80 hours unpaid work.
The court heard the incident occurred on September 10 last year after Mullender threw a party at her home in Marple, near Stockport, to celebrate moving in.
Prosecutor Miss Lisa Boocock said: ‘She wanted to impress those around her and invited a number of people including Darren Sharpe and at this party they were all drinking.
‘It came to a point where they inevitably needed more alcohol from the shop but a decision was made that Sharpe should get into Mullender’s car and pick some alcohol up.
‘She didn’t get into the car as she had taken a lot of cocaine and alcohol and he wasn’t as impaired.
He also pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice, along with Mullender who got a suspended sentence
‘Another guest also decided to go on that trip and both got into the car with Mullender’s permission.
‘A neighbour saw them outside the car and saw Sharpe get in. He said the car kept jerking all the way up the road and it looked as if he didn’t know how to drive.
‘During that journey there was an accident of huge proportions when the defendant lost control of the car and collided with the home of Dawn Jowett and her family.
‘He was travelling at an excessive speed and due to his drinking, this affected his control on the vehicle causing it to hit the kerb.
‘The car was flung to the other side of the dual carriageway and collided first with a lamppost and then the victims house.
‘The occupants of the car ran off abandoning the vehicle.’
Darren Sharpe (pictured) was condemned by the judge as he passed sentence at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester
Soon after the impact Sharpe contacted Mullender to tell her about the crash and at 5am she called police falsely claiming her house had been burgled.
She claimed the keys to the Audi were taken before the car was driven away – and even smashed ornaments as part of her pretence her home had been broken into.
But police who came to the house realised she had been drinking and spoke to the neighbour who saw Mullender allowing Sharpe to drive her car.
Sharpe himself who suffered an 8cm cut to his head in the crash also called police and falsely claimed he had been beaten up with a baseball bat and bricks.
But he was arrested after his blood was found the wreckage of the Audi.
Officers also found incriminating text messages between the pair in which Sharpe told Mullender: ‘Stick to your story – I’ll sort it out.’
The 16-year old passenger was also interviewed and he confirmed Mullender told them it was ‘fine’ to take her car adding: ‘Don’t be long.’
Miss Boocock added: ‘This has had a substantial impact on Dawn Jowett’s life.
‘The family have lived there for 18 years and she worked incredibly hard to keep up the mortgage repayments. It is the only house her two sons have ever known.
‘Her trauma had been added to after her insurance company have decided the house will have to be demolished.
The end of terrace property in Offerton (pictured) is beyond repair, forcing owner Mrs Jowett to pay for a £200,000 rebuild
‘She was asleep when the incident happened and believed it to be a gas explosion. She had to climb outside through a hole in the side of her house.
‘She was worried about her family pets and was upset because her sons and gone out and they would be sad to see this.
‘She couldn’t bring herself to think what would have happened if her sons were at home.
‘Mrs Jowett has an autistic son who last year was doing very well in school, but since this incident he has gone off the rails.
‘He doesn’t understand what happened and why he can’t go back home.
‘She is worried about how it is affecting his school career as he hasn’t attended and she does now know if he will be able to go to college.
‘She lost her contract at work and had spent a lot of time talking with insurance companies.
‘She had ended up going back to work because she needed the money. She said she is feeling depressed.
Emergency services are pictured outside Dawn Jowett’s home in Offerton, Stockport after a car came crashing through the side of her home
‘The costs have been huge in trying to find alternative accommodation.
‘She said that the defendant doesn’t know how lucky he is that somebody wasn’t walking along the street as they could have seriously injured or killed.
‘She is concerned if the defendant would do something like this again.
‘She is now having to pay council tax and rent on two properties and this has caused massive repercussions.
‘The damage cost is around £200,00 and the house now has to be demolished.’
Father-of-one Sharpe who also pleaded guilty to perverting justice was banned from driving for 21 months.
His lawyer Robert Smith said in mitigation: ‘This was an extremely foolish and reckless decision which has had profound consequences.
‘He shows sincere regret for what happened and his expressions of remorse are genuine.
‘He understands that serious injury or even death could have occurred and he panicked after the accident.’