A FLINTSHIRE man told police that someone had stolen his car after he drove it into a roundabout while drunk. 

Appearing at North East Wales Magistrates, Joseph Shone, 20, admitted driving his Ford Fiesta while more than twice over the limit following the incident on October 11.

Justin Espie, prosecuting, said police had received a call from Shone at around 4am in which he said he had been at a house party when someone had stolen his keys and taken his vehicle. 

He claimed he had followed them in another car before seeing them crash into the A550 Penymyndd roundabout and watched three men run off.

Another call to the police from a member of the public described that the car was in fact stuck on the roundabout with minor damage and there was a lot of debris on the road. It had been abandoned, locked and the keys taken out of the ignition. 

When officers arrived at the scene, Shone, of Bank View, Buckley, walked over to them with the keys saying "it wasn't worth it" when asked if he wanted to report the crime.

Officers began to question him about the incident but he was vague with his answers and became aggressive and threw the keys on the ground. 

He was asked to take a breath test but then became even more aggressive and began "actively resisting" officers who were forced to place leg restraints on him and use incapacitating spray. 

Gary Harvey, defending, said: "He is a young man who made an error of judgement, panicked and made up a story which failed at every juncture."

Mr Harvey added that his client, who works as an apprentice scaffolder, felt officers had been "over zealous".

A probation report delivered by Johnny Belbin said Shone admitted leaving the party to go and get more beer.

The shop was about two or three miles away and although he'd drunk five or six cans already he decided to drive.

He'd lost control on the roundabout due to it being wet and had tried to move the car but it was stuck and badly damaged. 

"He panicked and foolishly developed this story and is very embarrassed," said Mr Belbin, who added that Shone had "a problem with those in authority".

Shone was disqualified from driving for 19 months, fined £260 and ordered to pay £85 costs and an £85 victim surcharge for the drink driving offence and given a 12 month community order for admitting a charge of resisting a constable in the execution of their duty. 

He will also have to carry out 60 hours of unpaid work with a 10 day rehabilitation requirement.