TWO men were arrested, with one found by police hiding under a bush, after they had taken a friend’s car without permission and driven it after drinking.

Haverfordwest Magistrates Court heard that Kieran Olsen, of Jane Austen Close, Newport, and Daniel Fairlie, of Montgomery Close, Monkton, took a friend’s car and drove without permission having been drinking vodka.

On June 25, a member of the public informed police that a car had driven past them without lights on in the Pembroke area, at Olivers View and Powell Close.

When police found the car it was left with the engine running.

Officers made a search of the area and found 20-year-old Olsen hiding under a bush. When he was interviewed he identified 23-year-old Fairlie as being in the car with him, although it was stressed Fairlie had not been driving.

In mitigation, defence solicitor Tom Lloyd said it was a case of two lads being silly.

“It’s two boys who have had a drink and been silly choosing to drive home round the corner instead of walk.”

On Olsen, Mr Lloyd said he was petrified to go to prison.

“It was an extremely poor decision by my client,” said Mr Lloyd. “It was a short distance the car was driven and there was no evidence of bad driving.”

Fairlie faced one charge of taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent for which he pleaded guilty at the county town’s magistrates on November 30.

He was fined £120 and made to pay a surcharge of £34.

Olsen faced four charges including taking a motor vehicle without consent, driving without insurance, driving without a licence and driving on alcohol – Olsen registered at almost twice the drink-drive limit with 68 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 35.

He pleaded guilty to all offences at Haverfordwest magistrates on November 30 and was banned from driving for 22 months

Olsen was also fined £240 and made to pay costs of £85.