A man who was driving on the wrong side of the road has been fined £250 for careless driving.

Cleidiomar Arantes Dias was also fined a further £650 for having no insurance.

The 44-year-old Brazilian admitted both offences, as well as having no driving licence, which no separate penalty was made for.

Magistrates also endorsed his licence with six penalty points.

Prosecuting advocate Barry Swain told the court that, on October 28, police were driving on Upper Church Street in Douglas when they encountered Arantes Dias coming in the opposite direction on the wrong side of the road in a Citroen C3.

The two vehicles avoided each other and the defendant drove onto Circular Road, then onto Peel Road where police stopped him.

He could not speak English very well so had to phone a friend to translate for him.

Checks showed that he only held a provisional licence, despite being alone in the car and had no insurance.

The court heard that Arantes Dias, who lives at Bucks Road in Douglas, has no previous convictions.

He appeared in court with the assistance of a translator.

Defence advocate Victoria Kinrade said that Arantes Dias had only been driving because he had taken his partner to hospital with a head injury and was on the return journey.

The advocate said that her client had felt he had no option as an ambulance had not immediately been available.

Ms Kinrade said that the defendant held a driving licence in Brazil but had not transferred it.

Magistrates also ordered Arantes Dias to pay £50 prosecution costs, which he will pay, along with the fines at a rate of £50 per week.