Joe Jackson is a 17-year-old from Blackpool who enjoys going out with his mates, drinking and having a laugh. To look at him, you wouldn't think he was different to any other teenager. But that's part of the problem. Joe has been diagnosed with autism mixed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and can't always tell when his friends are urging him to take a joke too far.
Tomorrow he's appearing in court because a friend convinced him to take his aunt's car keys at 2am and go for a spin.
"He's known as the one that will do anything daft," says Joe's mum Jacqui, sighing as she recounts the story. "When he was picked up by the police, his instinctive reaction was to cover for his friend, and his 'mate' let him. He has loyalty like you won't believe to people who use him. Everyone else sees it but he doesn't."
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