A young drug dealer who crashed a car he had stolen from outside a house has been jailed for 30 months.

Ryan Kyle Shaw, 23, of Magherchirrym, Port Erin, had an ‘appalling’ driving record, the Court of General Gaol Delivery was told.

He had been stopped by police just after 12.30am on January 14 last year when his car was seen driving at speed through Colby on the wrong side of the road.

A JD Sports bag was recovered from the front foot well in which was found to be stashed nearly 100 grams of cannabis split into multiple packages, and with a total street value of just under £2,000.

His phone data was downloaded which showed he was in regular contact with others about supplying drugs over a three to four month period.

Then on January 4 this year, a silver Honda Jazz was reported as having been stolen from outside a house, the owner having left its keys in the ignition.

The car crashed into a parked Ford Focus in St Mark’s and the driver fled the scene.

Shaw was located in Port Erin and found in possession of three small Pregabalin tablets and was arrested on suspicion having controlled drugs.

In police interview he initially made no comment but then admitted: ‘Ok it was me, I took the car’. He did not have a valid driving licence or insurance.

Shaw admitted possessing cannabis with intent to supply and being unlawfully concerned in the supply of the class B drug between September 13 2022 and January 13 last year.

He also admitted taking a vehicle without consent and a number of other driving offences.

Defence advocate Jane Gray said at the time of the recent offending her client had been homeless for three months due to a turbulent relationship with his mother’s partner.

He had been sofa surfing and sleeping rough in public toilets. He drank most days and not eaten properly, and lost all sense of normality, she said.

She said there had been no pre-planning to the vehicle theft – her client had been walking around, noticed the keys in the ignition and taken the car in a spur of the moment decision. She said he had only driven a short distance.

The court heard the defendant had a number of previous convictions including for driving while under the influence of drugs.

‘You have an appalling driving record,’ Deemster Graeme Cook told him as he sentenced him to 18 months in jail for the drug offences and 12 months for the vehicle theft, taking the total to 30 months.

Shaw was also disqualified from driving for three years.