A careless driver who hit a large plant container and dragged it onto the road has been fined £350.

Graham Smith, who lives at Maple Avenue in Onchan, also had his driving licence endorsed with six penalty points.

Prosecuting advocate Barry Swain told the court that Smith was in his Hyundai Tucson in Peel on July 27, at 12.50pm.

The 63-year-old was performing a three-point turn outside the old Creg Malin pub on the promenade.

While doing so, he hit a large wooden plant pot, which was said to be a half cut down barrel with a plant in it, which belonged to the owner of the Creg Malin building.

Smith’s vehicle then dragged the pot onto the pavement and road, before he drove away.

This was witnessed by two people who reported the incident to police and Smith was given a notice of intended prosecution on August 7.

He was spoken to at his home and admitted he was outside the Creg Malin building but denied colliding with anything.

Police offered him a caution and then a fixed penalty notice but he declined both.

Mr Swain said if Smith had approached the owner of the pot, they may have been able to resolve the incident without police or court involvement.

In court, he pleaded guilty to driving without due care or attention.

Defence advocate Paul Glover said that his client had been driving for 46 years with no previous convictions.

Mr Glover asked for credit to be given for the guilty plea and said that it had been an incident involving low-level damage to the pot.

‘It wasn’t a deliberate act. He simply hasn’t seen the pot was there,’ said the advocate.

High Bailiff Jayne Hughes asked why Smith had not accepted the caution or the fixed penalty notice.

Mr Glover said that it had been partly due to his client being unaware of the process and what it would entail, but perhaps also an element of principle, and added that Smith would have benefited from legal advice at that time.

The High Bailiff also ordered Smith to pay £50 prosecution costs which he will pay, along with the fine, within 21 days.