A bricklayer who crashed his van on the St John’s to Peel road has been fined £760 for careless driving.

Phillip Eamon Blair lost control after he said gravel on the road had distracted him.

The 39-year-old was initially charged with dangerous driving which he denied but on Thursday he pleaded guilty to an alternative charge of careless driving.

Blair also admitted having no vehicle licence and no driving licence.

Magistrates also endorsed his licence with five penalty points.

Prosecuting advocate Barry Swain told the court that Blair was driving a van past Corlett’s quarry between St John’s and Peel on October 22 at 7.30pm.

As he went around a tight right hand bend he lost control and ended up in the opposite carriageway.

There were four other vehicles coming in the opposite direction and the first of them collided with Blair’s car.

Mr Swain said that the collision had been a side swipe rather than head on.

At the scene Blair, who lives in Castlemona Avenue, Douglas, admitted to police that the accident was his fault, saying that some stones in the road had made a noise and may have distracted him.

Checks later revealed that his driving licence had expired in December 2017 and his tax in April 2020.

Defence advocate Ian Kermode handed in letters of reference for his client and asked for credit to be given for his guilty pleas. The advocate said: ’Mr Blair was in his work van. He is a bricklayer.

’When he reached the quarry he was distracted by the noise of gravel on the road hitting his bodywork. He was conscious of this because he had agreed to sell the van.

’He was travelling at about 50mph and inadvertently moved over the centre white line.

’It was not a case of somebody speeding or cutting a corner. It was simply a momentary lapse having passed over gravel.’

Mr Kermode went on to say that his client had got his driving documents in order the following day and that his real concern was disqualification.

A letter from Blair’s employer said that he needed his licence to travel to sites and would not be able to continue in his current role if he couldn’t drive.

Magistrates fined him £400 for careless driving, £160 for the tax offence, and £200 for having no driving licence.

He must also pay £125 prosecution costs and was given two months to pay everything.