A BANNED driver who took his friend’s car on a mercy dash after hearing his father was in hospital was yesterday jailed for 18 months.

Dean Ashworth mowed down a pedestrian in Darlington and fled from the scene before making a 999 and using a false name, a court heard.

The 40-year-old told switchboard operators that there had been an accident, and asked if they knew how badly hurt the victim was.

A judge told Ashworth that his apparent concern was nothing more than a call to selfishly see how much trouble he was in last October.

Ashworth, of Roscoe Road, Billingham, has been caught driving while disqualified seven times, and four times with excess alcohol.

Judge Sean Morris described his record as horrendous as he banned the jobless father-of-one from the roads for a further four years.

Teesside Crown Court heard how he knocked down the pedestrian at the junction of Duke Street and Larchfield Street shortly after midnight.

He had been drinking, but a back-calculation was never done when he finally handed himself in to see if he was over the limit.

After fleeing the scene, Ashworth called his mental health crisis team, and they persuaded him to contact the police with his real name.

His victim suffered an injury to her forehead, swelling and bruising to an eye and face, and a muscular injury in her groin.

Ashworth - who also has a conviction for taking a car without consent - admitted aggravated vehicle taking and driving while disqualified.

Judge Morris told him: “You completely ignored the fact you had mowed a young girl down. That’s an indication of the type of person you are.

“It is quite clear from the 999 call that your main concern was ‘just how much trouble am I in?’ That’s why you wanted to know.”

The court heard how Ashworth had been left in charge of a friend’s business while he was on holiday - and took his Audi A4.

Garry Wood, mitigating, told Judge Morris yesterday: “The defendant’s dad had been rushed into hospital, and he acted impulsively. He had no business behind the wheel of any car, given his medical circumstances and the disqualification status.”

Mr Wood said Ashworth was ashamed and did not want to see CCTV footage of the accident - despite the victim saying she wanted him to.

Judge Morris made him watch the video, and told him: “You do have some mental health issues, but I think you are a person who wallows in self-pity.”