A 33-year-old man has admitted stealing a car and abandoning it after crashing it on the Mountain Road.

David Christopher Scott Rowson was identified from his DNA after blood was found on the BMW’s airbags. He will be sentenced on June 23 after a probation report has been prepared.

We reported last month how the passenger in the car, Andrew Raymond Moughtin, aged 32, of Brookhill Road in Ramsey, was sentenced to nine months’ probation.

Prosecuting advocate Hazel Carroon told the court that a BMW was stolen from May Hill in Ramsey on June 24 last year.

Police received a number of reports of sightings of the car heading from Ramsey towards Douglas.

The BMW was then seen in the middle of the road at Waterworks Corner on the Mountain Road.

The airbags had been deployed and there was smoke coming from the vehicle.

Moughtin called the police and reported that there was an abandoned BMW blocking the road but then both men left the scene.

Blood was found on the airbags and the car, which was later matched to Rowson.

Rowson, who lives at Balladoyne in St John’s, was interviewed on November 3 and told police that he believed he was in Sheffield on June 24, but said he could not remember the exact date.

He claimed he had not come back to the Isle of Man until July.

He said that he had not driven since December 20 when his provisional licence had expired.

Rowson said that he knew the owner of the BMW and had been in the car with him several times, but could not offer an explanation as to why his blood was on the airbags.

A second interview was held and during that Rowson initially remained silent, but then said: ‘I’m trying to think. To be honest my main intention is to get everything ready then put my hands up.’

In court, he pleaded guilty to a charge of taking a vehicle without consent.

Advocate Jim Travers, representing Rowson, asked for a probation report to be prepared before sentencing.

Rowson was said to be currently working with probation services after an early release from a previous sentence.

Magistrates ordered that the probation report consider all sentencing options, including custody.

Bail continues in the sum of £500 with conditions to live at his home address and to co-operate with probation for the preparation of the report.