A DRINK-driving teen jumped from a moving car in a bid to evade the police, a court heard.

Iwan Crawford, of Tan Y Coed, appeared at Wrexham Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

The 19-year-old admitted committing a series of offences on January 11; including drink-driving, aggravated vehicle taking, failing to stop after an accident, driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence and without insurance.

Helen Sidhu, prosecuting, told the court that at around 12.15am on the day of the offence, police were traveling up Abenbury Road in Wrexham when they spotted Toyota Aygo travelling with no lights on.

Upon spotting them, the vehicle sped up and didn't turn its lights on, prompting officers to pursue.

By the time the police came over the brow of a hill, the vehicle had disappeared, but it was found at the entrance to Tan y Coed.

It had been crashed into a metal fence and the engine was still running, but nobody was inside.

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Police found its owner - Crawford's girlfriend - and it was soon confirmed that the defendant had been the one driving.

He admitted he was the driver, telling police: "Yes, it was a drunken mistake."

A test showed he had 42 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the limit being 35.

He said he'd taken his girlfriend's car without her permission to drop his friends off and he'd panicked when he saw the police. 

The court heard he'd jumped out of the car while it was still moving, following which it collided with the fence.

David Matthews, defending, said: "He's a young man of good character and he made full admissions at the scene.

"It was very poor decision making. He'd been in the vehicle with his girlfriend and some friends, and his girlfriend retired to the house to sleep.

"He made the foolish decision, under some peer pressure, to drive them home.

"He 'bailed out' of the car while it was still moving."

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The court heard the defendant only has a provisional licence.

District Judge Gwyn Jones said: "You realised the game was up, and tried to make good your escape."

He handed down a community order of 12 months with 160 hours of unpaid work, a £200 fine, £85 costs and a £114 victim surcharge - as well as an 18 month driving ban.