A Norwich teenager driver crashed and wrote off an Audi A1 belonging to a friend’s mother after ploughing into a tree on a city centre roundabout. 

Alexis Kalamaridis, now aged 20, of Old Palace Road, pleaded not guilty at Norwich Magistrates’ Court to aggravated vehicle taking following the incident on Christmas Eve 2022. 

Emma Lloyd, defending, said he did not deny having been at the wheel when it crashed on Barrack Street but denied not having permission to drive it. He will stand trial in October. 

The court was told at the time of the crash the vehicle's owner was in a coma in hospital.

Her daughter, Erin Simmons, 19, of Windsor Park Gardens in Sprowston, who was a passenger, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking.

Lucy Brakewell, mitigating, said: “She has done the right thing in holding her hands up. She is truly sorry.”

Magistrates gave her a 12 month conditional discharge after hearing she had previous good character and had been facing “a difficult set of circumstances at the time”.

She was disqualified from driving for 12 months.