A teenager has been given a conditional discharge after she admitted being a passenger in a stolen car.

Rowan Morgan Lace also admitted obstructing police by giving them a false name.

Prosecuting advocate Barry Swain told the court that 17-year-old Lace was at an address at Tramman Rise in Anagh Coar on New Year’s Eve, at 9.45pm.

A male who was also at the address took the car keys for an Audi A4 and then drove it without the permission of the owner.

Lace was a passenger in the car and at 12.20am, on New Year’s Day, the pair drove to an address at Anagh Coar Road to check on a dog.

Witnesses then saw the Audi arrive back at the Tramman Rise address.

When police officers arrived, Lace made off but was found at the junction of Anagh Coar Road and Anagh Coar Lane.

However, when spoken to, she said that her name was ‘Rachel Cooper’.

Lace, who lives at Saddle Road in Douglas, was arrested and during a police interview answered ‘no comment’ to questions.

In court, she pleaded guilty to being a passenger in a vehicle taken without consent and obstructing police.

The court heard that she had no previous convictions.

juvenile

Defence advocate Jane Gray said that, had the matter been before a court in the UK, Lace would have been dealt with as a juvenile.

The advocate asked for credit to be given for her client’s guilty plea and said that, at the time of the offence, she was in a relationship with the male driver and had been persuaded to travel with him.

‘She admits it was a bad decision at the time,’ said Ms Gray.

‘The car had been missing for 30 minutes and was returned to the owner’s address.

‘It was a short distance travelled.’

The advocate went on to say that, although Lace had initially given a false name to the police, as soon as she was told she was being arrested, she had given her correct name.

Ms Gray asked magistrates to consider a conditional discharge, after taking into account Lace’s young age and her previous good character.

Magistrates ordered that the conditional discharge run for 12 months.

No order for prosecution costs was made.