A moment’s inattention led to a car driver knocking a motorcyclist off his bike during the teatime rush hour, Douglas magistrates were told.

Barry Swain, for the prosecution, said the rider was filtering along a traffic queue heading north along Douglas seafront when he was hit by the defendant, 26-year-old Samuel Wearmouth.

He said Wearmouth, of Darragh Passage, Anagh Coar, was pulling out through a gap in the line of traffic, intending to turn south towards the Sea Terminal when the accident happened.

’The road was busy at the time with a long queue heading towards Onchan,’ Mr Swain said.

’He was pulling out of a space between queuing vehicles and collided with the victim, knocking him off his bike.’

He told the court the victim suffered a displaced fracture of his right femur and a wrist injury. The victim spent time in hospital and underwent an operation to repair his broken leg.

Wearmouth told police he had been to the gym and was intending to turn right towards the Sea Terminal to head home.

Wearmouth admitted causing serious injury by careless driving on September 30 last year.

Defending him, Paul Rodgers stressed it had been an error of judgment.

’He signalled. Cars were waiting for him on his right hand side and he thought that side of the road was dealt with. He did not anticipate the motorcycle travelling along side the line of stationary cars. He accepts he could have done more. The injured party attends his gym and he has spoken to him,’ he said.

Magistrates’ chairman Brian Walton accepted it was an error of judgment and fined him £1,000 with £50 costs. He was banned from driving for a year and must pass an extended driving test before driving again.