A 36-year-old man who took photos of a potential crime scene while he was driving has been fined £600.

Ryan Moore took the pictures as he was passing but was seen by police and subsequently arrested.

The groundworker pleaded guilty using a mobile phone while driving as well as having no driving licence.

Magistrates also endorsed his licence with four penalty points.

Prosecuting advocate Barry Swain told the court that police were at Banks Howe in Onchan on March 16 dealing with an incident relating to a sudden death.

At 10.30am, Moore was driving a Nissan Primera van past, holding his phone in his right hand, appearing to be filming.

He turned into Manor Park where police spoke to him and he admitted he had been taking pictures.

Moore told officers: ‘It looked like a murder scene and I just wanted to get some snaps for the boys.’

Moore was also said to be a ‘R’ plate driver but was not displaying them and said: ‘There’s some in the glove box. Do you want me to put them on now?’

Defence advocate David Clegg said: ‘What do you say? It’s such a catastrophically stupid thing to do and we would ask you to treat it as such.’

The advocate said that Moore had been stupid and naive, but had been open and honest when spoken to by the police.

‘He admitted it at the scene and deleted the photos, which he was under no requirement to do,’ said Mr Clegg.

‘Had he stopped and took the photos he could have.’

Of the licence offence, the advocate said that Moore was driving a work van which was shared by a number of people and he had been told to nip out for tea, but had forgotten to put the plates on.

‘He was driving extremely slowly, presumably so as not to impair the quality of the photos,’ said Mr Clegg.

‘There was no chance he was ever going to get away with it.

‘He’s become over-excited at the sight of the crime scene tent.’

Magistrates fined Moore, who lives at Linden Gardens in Douglas, £400 for the mobile phone offence and £200 for the licence offence.

He was also ordered to pay £50 prosecution costs and will pay all amounts at a rate of £20 per week.