A man who took a friend’s car keys and then drunkenly drove people home lied to police.

Christopher Murray, 32, was spotted by Sussex Police officers driving the VW Passat along Carden Avenue, Hollingbury, Brighton, at 11.45pm on March 30 this year.

Officers pulled him over because they felt he was travelling too fast for the 30mph road, Chris Ball, prosecuting at Brighton Magistrates’ Court said yesterday (May 9).

They were also concerned about the way he was driving.

But when they asked for his licence he gave them a different name, that of the man who the car belonged to.

At court Murray, of Farm Hill, Woodingdean, Brighton, admitted drink driving – namely that he drove with 75mg of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath and that this exceeded the prescribed limit, driving without valid insurance, taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent and driving without a valid licence.

Mr Ball said: “He failed a roadside breath test. Police found a photo licence in the name of Christopher Martin Murray.

“What happened is the car’s owner had lent it to a friend, Mark Waters, who had the keys in the pub.

“The defendant had taken them from Mr Waters and driven.”

Stephanie Dale, defending, said: “He was out with a number of friends at the pub. They were all out drinking.

“The defendant said he would drive some home. It was a silly decision.”

Sentencing was adjourned but district judge Peter Crabtree said he would have at least a three year driving ban and face a community order.