A teenager who injured two passengers when he crashed his car has been fined £1,500 and banned from driving for 12 months.

As we reported last week, William Barnes previously admitted two counts of causing serious bodily harm by careless driving with the case being adjourned for a probation report.

On Tuesday this week, High Bailiff Jayne Hughes also ordered the teenager to retake his test at the end of the ban.

The 18-year-old crashed his Ford Fiesta at Guthrie’s Memorial on the Mountain Road on October 27.

He was driving towards Ramsey and was rounding the bends when he hit a hedge, causing the car to go back across to the other side of the road and become embedded in a wall.

One of his passenger’s suffered a torn bowel and had to undergo a major operation requiring 44 staples, while the second had bruised lungs and kidneys as well as a fractured rib.

Barnes, of St Stephen’s Meadow, Sulby, was said to have spent two nights in hospital with a back injury.

One of the passengers said that the road had been wet and Barnes had not read the road.

The second passenger said that they felt Barnes was driving a bit fast but they had not felt in danger.

When interviewed by police Barnes answered ’no comment’ to questions.

A probation report said that Barnes was 17 at the time of the crash and a ’R’ plate driver who had only passed his driving test a matter of months before the accident.

The teenager told probation it was the first time he had driven on the Mountain Road independently and he accepted he had driven too fast.

The report recommended a fine as the most suitable sentence. Community service was ruled out because Barnes was said to be hoping to go to university later in the year.

university

Defence advocate Peter Russell urged the court to follow the recommendation of the report and said that community service would most likely mean that Barnes would have to defer his university education for a year.

Mr Russell said: ’It is my submission the standout aggravating feature are the injuries to both people. There is no getting around the fact that they were very serious injuries but Mr Barnes has always stressed his deep regret for that. It is a matter of huge regret and sorrow.

’He was travelling too fast for that particular bend but that is different to speeding.’

The advocate suggested that compensation would be best left to insurers.

High Bailiff Mrs Hughes said: ’You were an extremely inexperienced driver at the time.

’You were going too fast for your experience. Young people do not understand they do not have the experience to handle vehicles travelling on dangerous and difficult roads.

’It could have been worse. You could have killed yourself or your passengers.’

Barnes was also ordered to pay £50 prosecution costs and will pay that, along with the fine, at a rate of £100 per week.

A teenager who injured two passengers when he crashed his car has been fined £1,500 and banned from driving for 12 months.

As we reported last week, William Barnes previously admitted two counts of causing serious bodily harm by careless driving with the case being adjourned for a probation report.

On Tuesday this week, High Bailiff Jayne Hughes also ordered the teenager to retake his test at the end of the ban.

The 18-year-old crashed his Ford Fiesta at Guthrie’s Memorial on the Mountain Road on October 27.

He was driving towards Ramsey and was rounding the bends when he hit a hedge, causing the car to go back across to the other side of the road and become embedded in a wall.

One of his passenger’s suffered a torn bowel and had to undergo a major operation requiring 44 staples, while the second had bruised lungs and kidneys as well as a fractured rib.

Barnes, of St Stephen’s Meadow, Sulby, was said to have spent two nights in hospital with a back injury.

One of the passengers said that the road had been wet and Barnes had not read the road.

The second passenger said that they felt Barnes was driving a bit fast but they had not felt in danger.

When interviewed by police Barnes answered ’no comment’ to questions.

A probation report said that Barnes was 17 at the time of the crash and a ’R’ plate driver who had only passed his driving test a matter of months before the accident.

The teenager told probation it was the first time he had driven on the Mountain Road independently and he accepted he had driven too fast.

The report recommended a fine as the most suitable sentence. Community service was ruled out because Barnes was said to be hoping to go to university later in the year.

Defence advocate Peter Russell urged the court to follow the recommendation of the report and said that community service would most likely mean that Barnes would have to defer his university education for a year.

Mr Russell said: ’It is my submission the standout aggravating feature are the injuries to both people. There is no getting around the fact that they were very serious injuries but Mr Barnes has always stressed his deep regret for that. It is a matter of huge regret and sorrow.

’He was travelling too fast for that particular bend but that is different to speeding.’

The advocate suggested that compensation would be best left to insurers.

High Bailiff Mrs Hughes said: ’You were an extremely inexperienced driver at the time.

’You were going too fast for your experience. Young people do not understand they do not have the experience to handle vehicles travelling on dangerous and difficult roads.

’It could have been worse. You could have killed yourself or your passengers.’

Barnes was also ordered to pay £50 prosecution costs and will pay that, along with the fine, at a rate of £100 per week.