A 17-year-old who stole a car on Christmas Day and crashed it twice has been sentenced to eight and a half months’ custody for five offences.

Ryan Alexander Woodworth also had no driving licence or insurance.

He also admitted offences of being a passenger in a stolen car, and threatening behaviour, committed on two other dates.

The teenager will spend his custodial time in a secure unit rather than the prison, due to him being under the age of 18.

Prosecuting advocate Peter Connick told the court that, on December 13, video footage was found which showed Woodworth, who lives at Saddle Road in Douglas, in the rear of a Ford Fiesta which had been stolen.

He admitted knowingly being a passenger in a vehicle which had been taken without consent.

We previously reported that, on Christmas Day (December 25) 2023, CCTV footage from Hills Meadow Industrial Estate showed Woodworth approaching a number of vehicles and looking inside.

He eventually managed to gain access to a Nissan Navara and started the engine.

The teenager tried to drive off but immediately hit the building in front.

He was seen on the footage getting out and looking at the damage, but he then got back in the vehicle, reversed before exciting the Hills Meadow Industrial Estate

A short time later police were called to an accident at Belmont Hill, where the Navara was found crashed into two parked cars.

A member of the public reported seeing Woodworth get out and run off when he saw them following him.

He went to his mother’s house and when asked why he was covered in mud, told her he had fallen down a hill.

He gave her two coats to wash then left, saying he was going home.

Isle of Man Police officers went to his address, at Saddle Road in Douglas, where he was said to have acted aggressively and was subsequently arrested.

During an interview at police headquarters, the teenager answered ‘no comment’ to all questions.

On February 20, police saw Woodworth walking on Peel Road in Douglas.

He was detained for a drug search but ran off, only to be caught by police.

He was then said to have vomited and said; ‘F*** off pig.  You’re actually all a bunch of c***s.’

Defence advocate Sara-Jayne Dodge said that the offences had been impulsive and incredibly foolish.

Ms Dodge said that, on Christmas Day, Woodworth had been in an argument with his family and had gone for a walk to clear his head.

The advocate said that the teenager had ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), which meant that he was incredibly impulsive and easily led, but had had a change of medication and was now making less impulsive decisions.

Ms Dodge said that the defendant had already spent six weeks on remand, the equivalent of a 12 week sentence, and urged magistrates to suspend any sentence, and incorporate a period of supervision.

The advocate also said that Woodworth would turn 18 next January (2025), which would mean he would go to the adult prison if he was in custody at that time.

Magistrates sentenced Woodworth to three months custody for taking a vehicle without consent and 10 weeks custody for being the passenger in the stolen car, to run consecutively.

They also activated a previous suspended sentence in full, to run consecutively, which added another three months to the sentence, bringing the total to eight and a half months.

The defendant was also given a 12 month driving ban.

Magistrates chair Julian Ashcroft told Woodworth: ‘We truly hope you take this time to reflect on your offending.’