He pleaded guilty to taking the car without consent
A Douglas man who stole and crashed his friend’s car has been ordered to do community service and probation – but could end up in jail after it emerged he was on licence at the time.
Thirty-three-year-old David Christopher Scott Rowson of Spring Valley Road appeared before Deputy High Bailiff James Brooks at Douglas Courthouse.
He pleaded guilty to taking a car without its owner’s consent.
Prosecution advocate Barry Swain told the hearing the blue BMW was stolen on 24 June last year.
Shortly before 4pm that day, witnesses rang police after finding the car at the Waterworks on the Mountain Road.
Motorists watched as Rowson and another man left the vehicle – both left the scene.
Blood on the driver’s airbag matched Rowson’s DNA, but when he was arrested he told officers he hadn’t been in the car.
Mr Brooks ordered Rowson to do 70 hours of community service and spend a year on probation as well as banning him from driving for two years and ordering him to pay £125 towards prosecution costs.
He told Rowson he wasn’t going to send him to jail, but added he could be recalled to serve the rest of his sentence if the parole board thought it appropriate.
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