A TEENAGER who left his car 'mangled' after smashing into a stone wall left the scene without reporting the incident to police, a court heard.

BAE apprentice Jacob Gillibrand smashed into a farmer's wall after failing to negotiate a bend while driving near Cartmel Racecourse.

The 18-year-old, who was 17 at the time of the incident, admitted driving without due care and attention and failing to report an accident when he appeared before South Cumbria Magistrates' Court in Barrow.

Prosecutor Lee Dacre said the crash was thought to have happened on the night of March 8, with the wrecked Toyota Yaris reported to the police the next morning.

He said: "At 7.30am a member of the public phoned police to report a car had crashed and was abandoned on Green Lane near Cartmel Racecourse.

"When officers got to Green Lane they said the vehicle was extensively damaged.

"A large portion of a stone wall had been knocked down.

"It was clear the vehicle had driven into the wall at high speed."

The court heard the car was left 'mangled' with a smashed windscreen and windows and the number plates had been removed.

Magistrates were told police made contact with the insurance holder, the defendant's mother.

She eventually told them she had received a call from her son the next day about the crash, saying it had happened the night before.

When police visited the defendant at home, Gillibrand said he had failed to negotiate a corner properly and collided with the wall, the court was told.

He said he did not report the incident to police because he was shaken.

Mr Dacre said with the driver only being found by police the next day, officers would not have been able to test Gillibrand for drink or drugs.

In mitigation, the court was told Gillibrand had been driving to a friend's home to collect vaping liquid and had not been drinking and that he removed the number plates because they had sentimental value, with the car previously being owned by his granddad.

The court heard the defendant, an apprentice marine engineer technician, relied on his car to travel to Barrow for his 6.30am shifts.

Nevertheless, magistrates ordered the defendant, of Station Road in Cark, to complete 120 hours of unpaid work and banned him from driving for six months.

Chair of the bench Gillian Sutton said: "This was a very serious accident and we are concerned that you left the scene and we do believe you would have been breathalysed."