A DRIVER whose 10-year-old passenger was left wheelchair-bound after a crash last Christmas Eve has been jailed for 15 months.

Scott Borrett, 34, of Mason Street, Colne, was also banned from driving for five years after admitting dangerous driving.

Preston Crown Court heard that moments before the crash on Junction 6 of the M65 he had branded his car a "junior batmobile" capable of making it from Colne to Blackburn within "eight minutes."

The court heard Borrett took a tablet and a half of ecstasy at a party the night before and had a cannabis reefer on the day of the crash.

Mark Lamberty, prosecuting, said Borrett was driving a courtesy car, a Vauxhall 1.1-litre Corsa, as his own was being repaired.

Borrett, he said, headed from Colne towards Blackburn with four passengers including Andrea Morton and her 10-year-old daughter Nicola.

He said the passengers complained the defendant was "driving too fast" through the streets of Colne and "driving at 50mph in 30mph zones."

"In police interview Mr Borrett admitted driving at 85 to 90mph on the motorway but passengers said he was going over 100mph," he added.

Mr Lamberty added: "They said he told them he could get to Colne in eight minutes and referred to the car as Bat Junior. He referred to his own car as the batmobile." Mr Lamberty added: "Passengers said he was far over in lane three and swore as he felt the car going out of control. He over-corrected and the car went off the motorway rear-end first and hit a stone wall."

He said Borrett and three passengers escaped with "minor injuries," but Nicola Morton had needed hospital treatment ever since after suffering "very grave" head injuries.

Mr Lamberty said Nicola, of Colne, was still wheelchair-bound, learning to walk again and having speech therapy.

Borrett insisted he was "not hallucinating" at the time of the accident, which he blamed on the poor weather, stressing "It was coming down in buckets."

Michael Murray, defending, said the victim was "like a niece" to his client.

"It is with somewhat trepidation he finds himself in the dock but that trepidation by the remorse he feels in relation to what happened to Nicola Morton."