A teenage learner driver was killed when he took his father's high-powered sports car without his permission.

Student James Cassar, 17, was over the drink-drive limit when he took friend Vincent Cox in his father's Mercedes CLK 320.

James, a former pupil at Beacon Community College, Crowborough, had a provisional driving licence and failed his test a month earlier.

An inquest at Uckfield Civic Centre heard yesterday that he knew the car was off limits to him until he had gained a full licence.

He already had a Mini given to him and his younger brother by his grandmother, which he used to gain experience on the road.

However, during an evening with three friends at his parents' house in Edenbridge Road, Hartfield, James decided to take the Mercedes for a drive twice with Vincent.

On the first occasion James returned the car without incident.

James' father, Gregory and his mother, were away at work at the time but Mr Cassar said James knew not to drive the Mercedes.

Tragedy occurred later that evening on the second occasion James took it for a drive with Vincent as a passenger along the B2026 Edenbridge Road.

The inquest heard James lost control on a right-hand bend about 300 metres from the house, crashed into a telegraph pole and a sign and ended up in a garden wall.

James died instantly from multiple injuries. Toxicology tests showed he had 114mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. The legal drink-drive limit is 80mg.

Vincent sustained critical injuries and was taken to the Kent and Sussex Hospital in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

The fatal accident occurred at about 2.30am on June 14 last year while James' parents were at work.

James had earlier invited Vincent and two other friends, Alethea Thomas, then aged 17, and 18-year-old Tracey Filtness, to the house - unbeknown to his father.

Alcohol was brought into the house and during the evening the girls described James and Vincent as taking part in "drinking games".

As the evening progressed a barbecue was lit, James performed on his music decks and the DVD movie Love Actually was put on.

During the film Alethea and Tracey fell asleep. When they awoke it appeared James and Vincent had taken the Mercedes out for a second time.

About ten minutes after waking up police called at the house and they were told there had been a crash.

Mr Cassar told the inquest the Mercedes was in a garage and locked because he spent a lot of time away on work but that James had access to the garage.

He said: "James would have known that he should never have touched the car. He had no permission to drive the car."

Mr Cassar said he did not know that Vincent and the two girls were going to stay at the house while he and his wife were at work.

He said he made three phone calls during the evening to the house to ensure James and his younger brother were both fine.

The last call he made to them was at 11pm when he asked James to record a grand prix race for him.

Mr Cassar was informed of the tragedy in the early hours.

Vincent said he remembered going out in the car with James the first time but not on the second occasion. The next thing he could recollect was being in hospital.

PC Julian Taylor, a Shoreham-based Sussex Police crash investigator, said excessive speed, alcohol and failure to keep the car under control all figured in the accident.

East Sussex coroner Alan Craze recorded a verdict of accidental death.