A man who has never had a driving lesson stole his mum’s Land Rover to go and buy drugs - 13 years after his brother died in a car crash.
Fabian Fillette, 24, of Burgh Road, Gorleston, spoke about the death of his brother, who was 17 at the time, as he appeared at Great Yarmouth Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday October 7.
He said: “The first time I ever came to this court was for an inquest into my brother’s death after a car crash, so I’m really disappointed in myself.”
Fillette’s older brother died on March 28 2007 when he took his parents’ car without permission to “see how fast he could go” on South Denes Road.
As he sped around a bend, the car left the ground - hitting a metal shed in mid-air.
In court on Wednesday, Fabian Fillette admitted possessing ketamine, taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent and driving it without a licence or insurance.
All charges related to the evening of February 2, 2020, when Fillette was sleeping at his mum’s house in Lowestoft.
According to prosecutor Jane Walker, Fillette took the keys to his mum’s car while she slept, and drove to Morrisons in Gorleston to meet a friend.
He then drove to Lowestoft to buy £20 of ketamine, but was stopped by police on Sussex Road.
She said: “Mr Fillette’s mum had not given permission for him to drive her car. She said he hasn’t had a driving lesson, and would have stopped him if she’d known.
“He told the police he’d had an argument with his partner which caused him to relapse, but had been clean for a year up until that point.”
Fillette, who spoke about his battle with drug addictions, said the last six years had been “very difficult”.
He said: “I managed to get my love life back on track and I have a son now. I got myself clean, but this was a relapse. I wasn’t on good terms with my mum or my partner.
“I tried to ignore my problems by going out and buying drugs, but I know I could have seriously hurt someone.”
He added: “I know what I did was completely wrong and I’ve signed up for counselling.”
Fillette was fined £50, with costs of £105 and a victim surcharge of £32. He was given six penalty points on his driving licence.
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