AN unlicensed driver who left another motorist seriously injured as a result of a head-on crash on his way home from the pub turned up to the wrong court to be sentenced.

Blackburn magistrates heard earlier this year how Andrew Paul reached speeds of 70mph in his Vauxhall Vectra, ignored junction warnings, overtook on the blind brow of a hill and forced his way past other vehicles before hitting a Ford Focus head on - all with his two children in the car.

The head-on collision occurred in Roundhill Road, Haslingden, near the Farmer’s Glory Indian restaurant.

The driver of the other vehicle, 48-year-old Jason O'Brien from Haslingden, suffered a triple fracture of his foot, a dislocated toe and injuries to his knees.

He was off work for four months and his car was written off

Paul's children, aged seven and 10 at the time, were taken to hospital with seatbelt injuries.

Paul, 35, of Harwood Road, Rishton, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving with excess alcohol, without insurance and without a licence on August 16, last year.

He was sent on bail to the crown court to be sentenced on March 18 after the magistrates ruled their powers of punishment were insufficient.

However he failed to attend Burnley Crown Court on that date and was arrested by police on Tuesday after seven months on the run.

Paul pleaded guilty to failing to surrender to custody when he appeared before Judge Sara Dodd at Burnley Crown Court.

Defending, Duncan Nightingale said: "The defendant appeared at Blackburn Magistrates on January 31 and pleaded guilty to various motoring offences. The case was sent to the crown court for sentence on March 18 when he failed to appear.

"This all appears to stem from the fact the defendant was drinking and appears to have become confused about the proceedings. As far as I can gather he has gone back to Blackburn Magistrates Court on March 18 rather than this court.

"There does appear to have been a phone call made from the magistrates court to convey the fact the defendant was in the wrong place. That obviously means he was aware he should be here. For transport and financial reasons he couldn't get from Blackburn Magistrates to Burnley Crown Court and therefore didn't attend.

"The only things I can put forward in mitigation for this breach is his early guilty plea and he did attend - just at the wrong court. There is no application for bail."

Judge Dodd jailed Paul for four days. Once he serves half of that sentence he will be remanded back into custody to be sentenced for the motoring offences on November 27.