A 41-year-old motorist has been fined £350 for careless driving.

Jaafar Al-Rubie crashed his Porsche 911 into a hedge on Johnny Watterson’s Lane.

Magistrates also endorsed his licence with four penalty points and ordered him to pay £50 prosecution costs.

Prosecuting advocate Hazel Carroon told the court that the defendant called 999, just after 6pm on New Year’s Eve, saying his car was in a ditch.

Police arrived and asked him if any mechanical defect had contributed to the accident, and he replied: ‘No, I was just going around the corner and it just slipped.’

He was taken to the hospital with minor injuries and issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice for £120 and three points.

However, Al-Rubie requested a court hearing rather than accepting the notice.

Defence advocate Jim Travers asked for credit to be given for his client’s guilty plea, and for making contact with emergency services himself.

The advocate said that Al-Rubie had hoped to be interviewed so he could give his account and show police dash cam footage.

However, Mr Travers said that his client was a pharmacist, and due to conflicting schedules, the interview had not taken place.

‘When presented with three points and a £120 fine, he refused, only because he felt his account and footage hadn’t been considered,’ said the advocate.

‘Nevertheless, he has entered a guilty plea.’

Mr Travers said there had been no excessive speed and the defendant had simply failed to negotiate the corner, going onto the grass verge at the side of the road.

He went on to say that, had Al-Rubie had the opportunity to be interviewed, he would likely have accepted the fixed penalty notice.

The defendant, who lives at South Drive, Strang, agreed to pay the fine and costs within one month.