Driver reversed into white van and drove away

Nial Buckley, 20, of Elm Street, Middleton, Manchester, pleaded guilty to failing to stop after an accident and driving without insurance.

Christopher Lyle, 34, of Pool Bank Road. Middleton, admitted permitting Buckley to drive without insurance.

Banned

Buckley was banned from driving for 28 days and fined £110 with a £150 court charge plus £20 victims’ surcharge by Blackpool magistrates.

Lyle was fined £166 with £50 costs, ordered to pay a £150 court charge with £20 victims’ surcharge and had six motoring penalty points put on his licence.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said Buckley reversed a van into another van parked outside a plumber’s merchants in Mowbray Drive, Layton, and then drove off on June 26.

The owner of the serious damaged parked van tried to follow Buckley but lost him in heavy traffic.

Police were given the van’s number plate and stopped it six hours later on the M6 near Skelmersdale. At that time Lyle was driving and Buckley was in the passenger seat.

Kathryn Jamieson-Sinclair, defending Buckley, said her client had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

Buckley had believed that because it was a works van it was insured for him to drive.

Lyle, who owned the van, apologised and said he had not realised he had committed an offence in allowing Buckley to drive.