AN UNLICENSED Isle of Wight driver who pranged his mother’s car into a parked vehicle had never even taken a lesson and only confessed when she noticed the damage.  

Benjamin Fitzpatrick, of Atherley Road, Shanklin, appeared before Isle of Wight magistrates on Tuesday, March 28.

The 35-year-old admitted aggravated vehicle taking, being a driver of a vehicle involved in a road traffic accident and failing to report that accident, driving without a licence and driving without insurance, in Ryde, on September 23 of last year.

Prosecutor, Tom Corke, told the court Fitzpatrick had taken the keys to his mother’s car.

He said the vehicle had been parked on the driveway at her home address and Fitzpatrick decided to take it for a drive, despite not holding a driver’s licence.

Mr Corke said Fitzpatrick went on to crash into a parked vehicle and sent text messages to his mother, effectively admitting he had been the driver.

The court heard Fitzpatrick had never taken a driving lesson before and returned the car to the driveway in a panic, only telling his mother days later when she noticed the damage.

Oscar Vincent, defending, said Fitzpatrick had come to the end of a relationship prior to the incident; an acrimonious ending which affected him badly.

He said he was suffering from anxiety and depression and had been feeling very down.

Mr Vincent said he foolishly took his mother’s car for a drive but drove only a short distance before crashing into a neighbour’s car and panicking.

He said he made a really bad decision and soon came to his senses, and was taking steps to address his issues around drugs and alcohol.

Fitzpatrick was made subject of a two-year community order, to include 30 rehabilitation days and 100 hours of unpaid work.

He was ordered to pay £560 compensation and disqualified from driving for 15 months.