A schoolboy who couldn’t wait to learn to drive like his friends took his mum’s car without permission and then crashed it into another vehicle.
The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, collided with a silver Volkswagen carrying a young mum and her two children, aged just 10 months and two years, in Turriff town centre.
Banff Sheriff Court heard the crash happened during the boy’s first-ever experience behind the wheel.
Fiscal depute Ellen Barr said the incident happened at around 11.10am on September 27 last year at Castlehill’s junction with Deveron Street.
Airbags went off in family’s car
“As the complainer neared the junction the accused’s vehicle started to pull out causing her to swerve into the opposite side of the road, however despite this, his vehicle collided with her car, causing the near side airbags to deploy.
“The bodywork of her car was dented but no one was injured.”
Police arrived and established the teenager had no licence, no L-plates and no licence-holding adult in the car with him.
The schoolboy pled guilty to driving carelessly, without insurance and with just a provisional licence.
‘Lots of his pals drive’
His defence agent Debbie Wilson said: “Lots of his pals drive. He didn’t know how to drive. He took it into his head to take his mum’s car and try to drive it.
“He pulled out only looking in one direction and not the other. My indication is that he has reimbursed the owner of the other car.
“He leaves school at the end of June and expects to get an apprenticeship.”
Ms Wilson said her client had since sat and passed his test – but his licence will inevitably be lost to him upon sentencing next month. New drivers receive an automatic ban if they tot up six penalty points within two years of passing the test.
Sheriff Robert McDonald called for background reports on the teenager and deferred sentencing until next month.
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