A 21-year-old Keighley man who took his friend’s car for a cruise around Skipton and ended up crashing it and writing it off has received a driving ban and a community penalty.

Provisional licence holder Stephen Wilson was banned for 18 months, given a 12-month community order with a two-month curfew between 8pm and 6pm and was ordered to carry out 150 hours’ unpaid work.

Skipton magistrates heard that Wilson had taken friend Christopher Watson’s Vauxhall Corsa and crashed it into a wall on the A629 opposite the entrance to Cononley Lane Ends.

He had then walked home to Keighley where he had reported the accident but not his involvement in it. Ambulance crews had gone to the scene and had found the badly damaged car, but no sign of any occupants, the court was told.

Police questioned Mr Watson, who initially told them he had given the keys to his friend but had no knowledge of what had happened to the car. He later changed his story after Wilson confessed to him what he had done.

Wilson told police that he and Mr Watson had gone to Silsden for the evening and he had been given the keys on the understanding that he drove straight home.

However, he had chosen to drive to Skipton to cruise around the town centre.

In mitigation, Gulfraz Khan said Wilson accepted he had exceeded his mandate and he had walked home after crashing the car.

He said Wilson worked full time for Skipton Kwik-Fit and that his actions had been out of character.

Wilson, of Whitley Road, admitted taking a car without the consent of its owner on May 11, using it without insurance, driving other than in accordance with a provisional licence and failing to stop after an accident.

He was ordered to pay compensation of £250 to Mr Watson, towards the increase in his insurance policy premiums, costs of £85 and victim surcharge of £60.