An 18-year-old driver tried to wreck a car by deliberately crashing into a "Stop" sign and other roadside objects as he took it on its final journey to a scrap yard, Fermanagh Court has heard.

Connor Mulholland completed the last 1.7 miles of his very own demolition derby with just three wheels on his wagon.

He was charged with driving dangerously between the Drumadagarve Road, Maguiresbridge, and Coa Road, Ballinamallard. However, a police blunder allowed him to plead guilty to the lesser offence of careless driving. He also admitted five other charges including not having insurance, driving a vehicle which was in a dangerous condition and failing to stop at the scene of a crash, remain there and report the crash to the police. He was fined �600 and banned from driving for six months.

A prosecutor told the court that at approximately 3pm on April 28, police received a report that a Hyundi Accent with no number plates had been abandoned on the Coa Road. Officers spoke to a man who admitted owning the vehicle and allowing Mulholland to drive it, knowing he had no insurance. The car had earlier crashed into a "Stop" sign in the Maguiresbridge area. When cautioned for failing to stop at the scene, Mulholland replied: "Sure it's hard to stop when you have only a handbrake and bald tyres."

The court heard that police seized the vehicle.

Mulholland told police the car had been en route to be scrapped and admitted he had been trying to wreck it by crashing it into various objects along the road.

The prosecutor explained that for someone to be prosecuted for dangerous driving police had to tape record the interview but that was not done in this case which was why Mulholland faced the lesser charge of careless driving.

Defence solicitor, Mr. Michael Fahy, said it was accepted that on this occasion Mulholland's driving was "particularly poor". It was his own admissions to police that led to him being prosecuted.

"He admitted his role in the matter and that is why he is in the predicament he is today," Mr. Fahy told the court, adding that the car was never fit to be on the road.

He said Mulholland, from Newtownsaville Road, Dungannon, passed his test in March 2011 and while no longer on "R" plates was still within two years of obtaining a full licence and subject to the new driver legislation.

District Judge Liam McNally told Mulholland this was an "atrocious" piece of driving in a vehicle which was "wholly unfit" to be on the road and without insurance.