A teenage driver who reversed into another vehicle, landing its driver in hospital, has been banned from the roads and fined.

Thomas Roberts, aged 17, of Bayrauyr Road, Ballasalla, pleaded guilty to causing serious bodily harm due to driving without due care and attention.

Appearing before magistrates on Thursday morning, the court heard that on December 6 of last year, Thomas reversed his Ford Fiesta into another car at Battery Pier, South Quay, Douglas.

Prosecutor Barry Swain said that at about 8.30pm, Roberts drove his car, along the quay towards the pier. He turned his vehicle around and went to reverse up next to his friend’s car which was parked up, also parked up was the victim’s car.

witness

As he began to reverse, which a witness said he did ’quickly’, the victim had begun to drive her car forwards. Roberts failed to spot the victim’s car and reversed into it.

She was taken to hospital and discharged. However after she was still experiencing pain some days after, she returned to the hospital’s accident and emergency department and was diagnosed with a fractured sternum. An update on her condition was last provided in February when she said she was sore but better than before.

Defence advocate Matthew Wilshaw said his client had spoken to police at the scene and then attended an interview at police headquarters voluntarily.

Mr Wilshaw said Roberts had admitted a ’serious offence’ but was at the ’lowest end of the scale’. He explained that his client had been using his mirror but that the victim’s car ’could have been in his blind spot’.

He added that Roberts lives in a rural area not serviced by a bus route and that he would now have to rely on other people to take him to school and he would likely struggle to continue in his part-time job.

Mr Wilshaw said that Roberts’s parents had informed him that would be paying his fine himself.

Roberts was banned from driving for one year and, should he wish to drive in future, he will have to pass the extended driving test, he was also fined £1,250 and ordered to pay £50 towards prosecution costs at a rate of £10 per week.

Court