A man from Castletown has been fined £2,150 and banned from driving for a year after borrowing a car and fleeing an accident in it.

Michael Craig Fitzgerald Pereira had no licence or insurance when he drove a friend’s Corsa into a parked Volkswagen Transporter.

He then drove away without reporting hitting the van and later tried to cover it up.

In court, the 43-year-old pleaded guilty to careless driving, failing to report an accident, having no insurance and having no driving licence.

A fifth charge, of taking a vehicle without consent, which he had denied, was dismissed after the owner of the car retracted her statement.

Deputy High Bailiff Rachael Braidwood also ordered Pereira to pay £1,000 compensation to the owner of the damaged parked car.

Prosecuting advocate Barry Swain told the court that, on April 8 at 2am, Pereira drove the Vauxhall Corsa from a woman’s address, along Arbory Road in Castletown.

He collided with the parked Transporter van causing significant damage to both vehicles.

The damage to the Corsa was valued at £5,000 while the damage to the Transporter was set at £1,000.

Pereira, who lives at Athol Terrace, then drove the Corsa back to the woman’s house and gave her the keys.

He went back to the scene of the accident and tried to clear up the debris, but then left again without reporting it.

Police identified the Corsa from remaining debris which contained a serial number.

Pereira went to a voluntary police interview and admitted he was the driver, saying he had permission to drive the car, but had told the woman that he had a licence.

He said that after hitting the van, he had panicked, as he didn’t want to get arrested.

The court heard that Pereira’s last conviction was in 2011.

Defence advocate Victoria Kinrade said that her client had taken out a loan and paid the woman for the damage to her car.

Ms Kinrade said that Pereira had been fully compliant with the police and wanted to apologise for not handing himself in straight away.

The advocate said that the defendant had made a conscious effort to turn his life around after his last conviction.

The Deputy High Bailiff fined Pereira £650 for failing to stop, £600 for having no insurance, £800 for careless driving, and £100 for having no driving licence.

Ms Braidwood told the defendant: ‘You have borrowed a vehicle on the understanding the owner believed you had a licence, when you had not had one for 12 years.

‘You then tried to clear the scene and again made no attempt to report the accident.

‘It was only the following day that you gave yourself up, and only when it became apparent the serial numbers had been identified.’

Pereira must also pay £125 prosecution costs and take an extended driving test at the end of his ban.

He will pay all amounts at a rate of £25 per week.