A student from Colby has been sentenced to 80 hours community service by magistrates.

Joseph James Bibby, of Croit-e-Caley, pleaded guilty to driving without insurance, not displaying ’R’ plates, having no vehicle licence, and driving without due care or attention.

He also had his driving licence endorsed with 11 penalty points and his ’R’ plate period extended by 12 months.

Prosecutor Michael Jelski told the court how, on December 18 at 4.28pm, 17-year-old Bibby was driving a Peugeot 206 from Colby to Douglas.

He was said to have lost control of the car on Bridge Road in Ballasalla and drifted into the path of an oncoming vehicle.

Bibby managed to swerve and avoid the other car but ended up crashing into a hedge.

When quizzed by police he admitted that he had been driving too fast to negotiate the bend.

He was charged with driving without due care or attention.

In a separate incident, on February 1, Bibby was driving a Renault Clio heading south on the Old Castletown Road when police reported seeing the car exhaust blowing loudly.

Police lost sight of the car but Bibby was later located parked on Marine Drive in Douglas.

Checks revealed his licence had expired in March 2016 and he was not displaying ’R’ plates as he should have been.

He was also told to produce his insurance at a police station within five days and did so, but it was then found that he was not insured to drive the Clio on February 1.

The court heard that Bibby had no previous convictions.

Defending the teenager in court, his advocate Peter Taylor asked for any fines that may be payable to be converted into community service, saying that, as Bibby was a student, he would have trouble paying.

Mr Taylor said: ’He has the summer holidays to work off the community service. He is a very young man, not quite 18 yet.

’He made the decision based on youth and immaturity but contrast that to him turning up on his own to court today.

’This is his first offence. In February, he had gone to buy his first car and made the stupid decision to drive it home so he could repair it.

’There is nothing in the statement stating he was stopped for poor driving. We would ask this is treated as a one-off stupid mistake.

’He was not interviewed until May for the December incident. The officer advised he might be eligible for a young driver awareness course.

’However, both incidents arrived at the same time on someone’s desk and the combination meant the course was not suitable.

’It was a momentary lapse of concentration.’