A teenage drink-driver crashed his car into a hedge and then fled the scene before police arrived.

Michael Harold Joseph Pardoe, of Malew Street, in Castletown, was caught by police after he later returned to the scene of the crash in another vehicle.

The 19-year-old has been fined £1,000 and banned from driving for 30 months after admitting a charge of driving with excess alcohol.

Prosecutor Michael Jelski told the court how, on April 8 at 2.23am, police were called to an accident involving one car at The Hope in St John’s.

They found the Clio abandoned on the road having struck a grass verge.

Checks showed that Pardoe was the owner. A witness who lived in the area said that they had heard the collision.

The witness said he looked out of his window and saw the Clio in the hedge. He went out and spoke to two men who were in the vehicle.

One of the men told the witness that he couldn’t move the car because he was ’pissed’.

By the time police arrived the pair had left the scene and officers arranged for the car to be moved.

However, at 3.52am, while police were still at the scene, a Lexus was driven through the area and officers decided to follow it.

The Lexus passed the scene of the accident but then turned around to return to the scene and stopped.

Police spoke to the driver who had two passengers in the car that matched descriptions of the two men who had left the scene of the accident.

Pardoe was one of the passengers and he failed a breathalyser test with a reading of 72 - the legal limit is 35.

Panicked

During a police interview Pardoe handed in a prepared statement admitting that he was the driver of the Clio.

He said that he had panicked after crashing and arranged to be collected by a friend.

Defending Pardoe in court advocate Stephen Wood said: ’Mr Pardoe has instructed me not to advance anything that might be seen as an excuse.

’There is no excuse for his behaviour. He accepts he panicked.

’He was a very short distance away in a field but he should have stood up.’

The court heard that Pardoe had passed his test three months prior to the accident.

Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes told Pardoe, who has no previous convictions: ’You have lost your good character and there will be implications on your future employment and insurance.

’I can’t give you credit for full co-operation as you didn’t immediately present yourself to the police.

’I accept you panicked and that’s why you hid from police.

’But for the vigilance of the police you may have escaped prosecution.’