A 24-YEAR-OLD man crashed his father’s jeep and fled the scene before later turning himself in to police, Fermanagh Magistrates Court has heard.

Johnathan Hunter, of Effernan Road, Trillick, pleaded guilty to using a motor vehicle without insurance, driving while disqualified and driving without due care and attention at Cullion Road, Tempo, on March 25, 2018.

The court heard that, on March 25, police received a report of a one-vehicle road traffic collision in the Tempo area.

Upon arrival at the scene, officers observed an Isuzu Trooper on its roof and a telegraph pole broken in two.

The driver was not present and the vehicle was seized, the court heard.

Police then went to the address of the jeep’s last registered owner and were told that the defendant was out in the vehicle.

As officers were enroute to another call, they were flagged down by a male outside a bar in Tempo.

The male, who was unsteady on his feet, told the police: “See that jeep out on the road. That was me, I crashed it.”

He was conveyed to Omagh custody suite and breathalysed.

During an interview the following day, he made a full admission to the offences.

Defending solicitor, Gary Black, told the court that his client deserved maximum credit with how he had dealt with the situation.

The solicitor said that Hunter himself had flagged down police and admitted he was responsible for the crash.

Mr. Black said that the facts in the case made reference to alcohol, but said that a charge of driving while unfit had been withdrawn.

The solicitor said that, after leaving the scene, Hunter had consumed alcohol at the bar.

He stressed that any drink had been taken “post-incident”.

Mr. Black admitted that his client had been “entirely foolish” to take his father’s jeep, which was written off in the collision.

The solicitor revealed that the insurance company was not paying out over the incident and Hunter was “having to make good” with his father.

Mr. Black said that the defendant’s driving disqualification had ended on June 4 and told the court that any further disqualification would have a “significant impact” on the labourer.

District judge, Michael Ranaghan, observed that he would give the defendant credit for entering the guilty pleas and flagging down the police after the crash.

However, the judge said he couldn’t turn a blind eye to the other offences and the damage caused.

Mr. Ranaghan imposed fines totalling £450, a £15 offender levy and an eight-month driving disqualification.