A driver who smashed into a parked car in Onchan said it happened because he sneezed, a court was told.

But a blood test taken at Noble’s Hospital, after Stephen Michael Glover’s red Mazda hit the Fiesta in Falkland Drive revealed a cocktail of drugs in his body.

Mark Benson, for the prosecution, said the test showed cocaine and diazepam sufficient to impair his driving. He was also breath tested at the scene but this returned a negative result for alcohol.

He told the court Glover’s Mazda had front-end damage and the Fiesta had been hit on its off-side.

The Mazda was examined by staff at the vehicle test centre at Tromode and although a few faults were found none was likely to have contributed to the accident.

Interrogated by police, Glover said the sneeze had caused his left arm to move, which in turn caused the collision. He said he had bought the car three months earlier and he admitted having used cocaine a number of days before the collision but did not feel it had contributed to the accident. He said he had taken prescribed diazepam the night before but did not feel he was unfit to drive. He was ordered to produce his documents at the police station, but failed to do so.

He said he had passed his driving test the previous year but had not applied for his full licence before his provisional licence had expired.

Glover who is 33 and lives at Anagh Coar Road, Anagh Coar, in Douglas, admitted offences of driving while unfit, driving without the appropriate licence or insurance, and driving a car in a dangerous condition, all on October 28 last year.

A charge of failing to produce his insurance at the police station as requested on the same date was withdrawn by the court after he admitted not having insurance.

He was further charged with driving without insurance on New Castletown Road, in Douglas, on February 4, which he also admitted.

Representing Stephen Glover at the hearing, duty advocate Paul Glover told the court his client was affected by a number of personal issues that were significant to the case.

He requested an adjournment before sentencing takes place so a social enquiry report can be completed on the defendant by the probation service.

He is to reappear for sentencing on May 18 and was bailed by the court in the meantime.

Magistrates’ chairman, Ken Faragher, bailed him with a £500 recognisance to his home address.

He is to contact the Isle of Man probation service and co-operate with them in the making of their report. He must keep all appointments and reappear on the assigned date.