THREE men had to be cut free from a parked Mercedes after a drink-driver smashed into the back of it, Bradford Crown Court heard.

William Kaye, 55, was almost twice the legal alcohol limit when he ploughed into the stationary car, flipping his vehicle on to its side, in Carlisle Road, Manningham, Bradford.

Kaye, of Kings Drive, Wrose, Bradford, was yesterday jailed for nine months and banned from driving for three years.

He pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking, driving over the prescribed limit and having no licence or insurance.

The court heard that Kaye's "dreadful" record for driving offences included disqualified driving, taking without consent and driving without insurance. It was his third conviction for drink driving.

Prosecutor Robert Galley told the court Kaye had drunk a small bottle of vodka before taking his brother-in-law's Honda Accord without permission at 10.30pm on June 15 last year.

He ran into the back of a white Mercedes parked outside a takeaway on Carlisle Road, injuring the occupants, Adil Hussain, Saqib Hussain and Waqas Hussain.

Mr Galley said firefighters cut the roof off the Mercedes to free the man, one of whom was disabled.

They suffered shock and pain in their necks and backs.

Kaye was treated in hospital after the Honda ended up on its side.

He was immediately frank with the police, saying he sometimes borrowed the car, although he had no licence or insurance.

Two hours after the crash, he was found to have 144 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, approaching twice the legal limit of 80.

Kaye's barrister, Hannah Lynch, said he made full admissions to the police and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

He had drunk vodka at 6pm that night and gone to sleep. He borrowed the Honda to pick up a friend and had no memory of hitting the Mercedes.

Kaye believed he may have blacked out after subsequent hospital tests revealed he had a heart problem.

"He is very remorseful and ashamed to have caused the injuries to three innocent people sitting in a car," Miss Lynch said.

Kaye had battled heroin addiction in the past and his last criminal conviction was eight years ago.

Judge Peter Benson said Kaye had "a dreadful driving record."

"You drove straight into the back of a parked car with three occupants, all of whom suffered whiplash injuries, and one was disabled. The roof had to be cut off and a valuable car was written off," the judge told him.