A man who was driving on the wrong side of the road on Douglas promenade has been fined £120 for careless driving.

El Houcine Hachemi admitted the offence and also had his licence endorsed with three penalty points.

Prosecuting advocate Barry Swain told the court that police were on foot patrol on September 30, at 1.15am, near the Sea Terminal.

They saw Hachemi approaching in a Peugeot 107, passing the Jubilee clock on the wrong side of the road.

They tried to stop him but were unsuccessful, and he then went around the Sea Terminal roundabout the wrong way, before starting to head back along the promenade, still on the wrong side of the road.

Officers managed to stop him and he told them he had not been on the island very long.

He said he had got confused by the layout of the promenade.

A fixed penalty notice was issued but was not paid.

Hachemi was said to hold an Algerian licence, but still has until August to change it to a Manx one.

The court heard that he has no previous convictions.

Defence advocate Paul Rodgers handed in a letter written by the defendant.

Mr Rodgers said that Hachemi believed that he had been a victim of human trafficking.

The defendant claimed that he had been paid one week’s pay for seven weeks' work and was living in a small room.

The advocate said that his client had only driven a short distance and was driving slowly.

Hachimi claimed that he had not paid the fixed penalty because he had not received the second page of the notice which explained how to pay it.

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