A teenager who crashed his car at the Devil’s Elbow has been fined £950.

Jenson Artus did not appear in court, but sent a postal admission to careless driving, failing to maintain stop lights, and having a defective braking system.

Magistrates also endorsed the 17-year-old’s licence with five penalty points.

Prosecuting advocate Hazel Carroon told the court that police were called to the Devil’s Elbow on December 14, after a report of a single vehicle accident.

Artus’ blue Ford Fiesta had rolled and hit the rock face, and was blocking the carriageway.

He told officers that he thought the steering had failed.

The vehicle was taken to the test centre and faults were found with the rear brake light and the braking system.

However, the examiner concluded that the faults would not have contributed to the accident.

Artus, who lives at The Meadows in Kirk Michael, was interviewed and said that he had been driving a different car earlier in the day, a Ford Focus, but there had been a fault with it.

He said he had then decided to use the Fiesta to get to work.

He said that he had not been driving fast but had lost control.

The court heard that he has no previous convictions.

In written mitigation sent to the court, Artus said that the Fiesta was only a spare car used in his family and that it was due to be scrapped.

He said that he felt the accident happened because he had over-steered and clipped a hedge, but also attributed it to naivety and inexperience, saying that the Fiesta handled differently to his Focus.

Magistrates fined the defendant £350 for careless driving, £200 for failure to maintain the stop lights, and £400 for the defective braking system.

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