A 20-YEAR-OLD man who has never held a driving licence has been ordered to pay £550 compensation to a local landowner after crashing a BMW into a field and leaving the scene.

Pavel Kozlov, of Derrychara Drive, Enniskillen, was charged with using a motor vehicle without insurance at Lough Shore Road, Enniskillen, not having a driving licence or a vehicle test certificate and two counts of having a defective tyre on September 3, 2016.

Kozlov, who represented himself, entered guilty pleas when he appeared before Fermanagh Magistrates Court on Monday morning.

The court heard that, at 7.45am, police attended the scene of a one-vehicle road traffic collision on Lough Shore Road.

They observed a silver BMW 3 Series lying damaged in a field beside the road. There was no-one at the scene, the court heard.

Checks on the vehicle confirmed that there was neither insurance nor a vehicle test certificate in place.

Initial attempts to locate the driver were unsuccessful.

However, later that night, the defendant attended Enniskillen police station in person.

Further tests carried out on the BMW revealed that the tread in both rear tyres was worn below the legal limit.

When the defendant was subsequently interviewed on November 7, he confirmed that he had bought the vehicle a few days before the collision and made full admissions to not having insurance, a driving licence or a vehicle test certificate.

Kozlov also confirmed that he knew the tyre tread was low, but added that he didn’t realise it was so low it was illegal.

Speaking through an interpreter on Monday, the Lithuanian national said: “What can I say? I am guilty.”

The defendant said he was sorry and stressed that he had gone straight to the police station after finishing work.

“I didn’t wait for the police to call,” he said.

Insisting that this was never going to happen in the future, Kozlov said said he intended to apply for his driving licence.

While giving credit for the guilty pleas, district judge, Nigel Broderick, observed he was concerned that the defendant didn’t report the collision at the time of the incident.

The judge imposed fines totalling £500, a £15 offender levy and disqualified Kozlov from driving for the next 12 months.

After hearing about damage caused to a fence and hedge at the scene, Mr. Broderick also ordered the defendant to pay £550 compensation to the landowner.

He was given six months in which to pay.