A 15-YEAR-OLD joyrider has been banned from driving for a year - despite not even being old enough to apply for a provisional licence.
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to a catalogue of motoring-related offences and was sentenced at Barnsley Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
The Crown Prosecution Service told magistrates the teen drove a black Ford Ka in the Great Houghton and Thurnscoe areas and, when police located the car, he drove away at speed on October 29.
A day later, he was spotted by police driving the car on Park Spring Road, near Grimethorpe, before an employee at Jet, a petrol station on Burton Road in Monk Bretton, reported the youngster for filling up the car with petrol and driving away without paying.
He was arrested and pleaded guilty to making off without payment, driving without a licence, driving without insurance and failing to surrender to police at the first opportunity.
Brian Bushell, defending, said: “He has no previous convictions and had a thing about cars at the time.
“It was not stolen and there’s no suggestion of dangerous driving - these are straight-forward offences and he’s pleaded guilty at the first time of asking.
“His home life is more settled now and although he’s not currently in school, he does want to go to college.”
The teen apologised to the court and described the incidents as ‘stupid things to do’.
He was given six points for each of the three driving offences - a total of 18 - and banned from driving for one year.
He was also told to pay £42.43 compensation to Jet for the petrol he stole and given a six-month referral order.
Chair of the bench, Lynne Fairbridge, told him: “You have no licence, no insurance and no experience - you could easily have knocked someone over, hurt them or even killed them.
“Actions have consequences and if you break the law, you must accept those.
“I don’t like to see kids in court and this referral order is there to help you.
“As a court we’re here to stop people from reoffending and the Youth Offending Team will help you learn, realise your mistakes and put them behind you.
“Each of the offences are a six-point punishment, so you know have 18 on your licence, so you’ll automatically be banned for a year from this date, meaning you won’t be able to apply for your provision licence.
“You will not pay court costs but you must pay compensation to the petrol station.”
