A motorist who hit a pedestrian outside a school has been fined £650.

Seventy-nine-year-old Robert Stewart Kennedy exited via the entrance junction at Bunscoill Rhumsaa.

He initially denied failing to conform to a traffic sign, but with a pre-trial review due on September 3, he changed his plea to guilty.

Magistrates also endorsed Kennedy’s licence with three points.

Prosecuting advocate Hazel Carroon told the court that the defendant was driving a Ford Connect van on December 10.

He was at the school premises and had parked in the car park.

At around 3.30pm, Kennedy drove out of the entrance junction and hit a pedestrian who was crossing the road.

Ms Carroon said the complainant suffered injuries that resulted in them being in hospital for a number of months.

When interviewed, Kennedy, of Ballagyr Park, Peel, said he’d looked left and right, and hadn’t seen anyone.

He said it was his first visit to the school and he’d not been aware he was exiting via the entrance.

Kennedy said he felt a bump and got out, initially thinking he had driven over shopping.

Defence advocate Ian Kermode said his client’s last conviction was over 24 years ago.

Mr Kermode referred to the initial denial and said that issues had been raised over the signage displayed.

He said there was only one ‘no exit’ sign, on one side, and it was not immediately adjacent to the road edge, so the issue of whether there was adequate signage had been looked into.

‘Mr Kennedy has reflected and decided to plead guilty,’ said the advocate.

‘He was attending a children’s Christmas play and had never been there before.

‘He didn’t see the single exit sign.’

Mr Kermode said that insurers were dealing with civil matters.

Magistrates also ordered £125 prosecution costs and Kennedy agreed to pay within a month.