An inexperienced young driver who went through a red light before crashing on a bend at over 70mph has been handed a suspended jail term - and told he was lucky not to have killed someone.

Dylan James Marsh, 18, had three female passengers on board when he overturned his VW Golf on the Laxey to Ramsey coast road in the early hours of November 18 last year.

Sentencing him to six month’s imprisonment suspended for 12 months, Deemster Graeme Cook told him: ‘You have been very lucky here in all respects.

‘Your standard of driving was appalling. Only through grace and good fortune you didn’t kill yourself, your passengers or anybody else on the road that night.’

A witness travelling in the opposite direction said he was approaching the Everlasting Bend when he noticed a car coming towards him on his side of the road with its headlights on full beam and driving at a ‘decent enough speed’, prosecutor Hazel Carroon told the Court of General Gaol Delivery.

He was forced to take evasive action and swerved to the right. The oncoming vehicle passed on his left side and collided with the kerb.

In his rear-view mirror, he saw the car scraping along the road with sparks coming from it.

Dashcam footage shown in court followed Marsh’s VW as it jumped a light in Laxey, travelling north at excessive speed before overturning on the Everlasting Bend.

The other vehicle sustained £8,000 of damage and was a write off. Its driver was said to have felt ‘shock and disbelief’ that the incident had taken place and had been nervous about driving again.

The three female passengers in the defendant’s car were all taken to Noble’s Hospital for treatment to minor injuries including bruising and whiplash. All declined to give a statement to the police.

Ms Carroon said Marsh had deliberately disregarded the rules of the road, reaching a speed of 51mph in a 20mph zone in a residential area and up to 63pmh in the 30mph limit through Laxey.

He had ignored a red traffic light in the village and went on to reach a speed of 78mph on the derestricted stretch of road. The car was travelling at 74mph when it crashed.

The court heard the defendant, who lives in the south of the island, passed his test in November 2023.

‘Frankly, he doesn’t look old enough to drive,’ remarked Deemster Cook.

Marsh had admitted a charge of dangerous driving. He provided a letter of apology to the court.

Defence advocate Deborah Myerscough said the collision was the result of ‘immaturity and lack of experience’. ‘It certainly has shaken him,’ she said, adding it was a ‘consequence of when you allow young people to get behind the wheel’.

The court heard that Marsh was studying at University College Isle of Man and training to be a chef.

Deemster Cook disqualified him from driving for 12 months and said he would be required to take an extended driving test after that time.