A TEENAGE motorist who admitted causing a head-on collision had fallen asleep at the wheel after completing a 12-hour night shift, Fermanagh Magistrates Court has heard.

Lukas Stakutis (19), of Aghalun Park, Brookeborough, pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention at Nutfield Road, Lisnaskea and using a motor vehicle without insurance on June 12, 2017.

The court heard that, on June 12, police were tasked to the scene of a two-vehicle road traffic collision.

The defendant, who had been driving a Honda Civic, had fallen asleep and veered into the opposite lane, resulting in a head-on collision with an oncoming vehicle.

The other driver sustained minor injuries, the court heard.

When he was spoken to by police, Stakutis, who was an ‘R’ driver, admitted falling asleep prior to the collision.

He also told police that he was not insured.

The defendant claimed that he “couldn’t really remember” what had happened.

He added that he had been coming from work and had just completed a 12-hour shift.

Defending solicitor, Niall Bogue, told the court that his client had been “quite frank” with the police, having admitted he had fallen asleep after returning from a night shift.

The solicitor said that the teenager wasn’t insured as he had been given a quotation of between £2,500 and £3,000 to obtain a policy.

Mr. Bogue said that the defendant couldn’t afford this and instead “took a chance”.

He had subsequently learnt a “very harsh lesson”, the solicitor told the court.

The car in question has since been scrapped and Stakutis has a short-term policy on another vehicle, the court heard.

Mr. Bogue also said that, at the time of the incident, the defendant didn’t realise the risk of falling asleep and had “obviously miscalculated”.

Deputy district judge Sean O’Hare observed that the defendant had admitted responsibility for the accident and explained what happened, but deliberately chose to drive without insurance.

The judge added that Stakutis “ought to have known” he was not in a fit state to drive.

Mr. O’Hare fined the defendant £500, ordered him to pay a £15 offender levy and disqualified him from driving for nine months.