A TEENAGER helped himself to his uncle's hire car and smashed into another vehicle, leaving the victim lying injured in the road, a court was told.

Burnley Magistrates heard how newlywed Kamru Zaman, 18, who had never passed a driving test and was not insured, later went back to tell police he had been the driver.

Peter Bond was attended to by firemen after the crash outside Burnley Fire Station on August 28. He suffered neck and back injuries which stopped him from carrying out his work as a part time cleaner.

Zaman, of Belvedere Road, Burnley, was given a 12 months community rehabilitation order and 60 hours community punishment after admitting driving without due care and attention, driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence, using an uninsured vehicle, failing to stop after an accident, failing to surrender to custody and taking a vehicle without consent. He must pay £70 costs.

Neil White, prosecuting, told the court Zaman drove badly, causing an accident and then left the scene, leaving the victim in distress.

The defendant came out of a junction on Belvedere Road, Burnley, making no attempt to slow down. He hit Mr Bond's car, forcing it onto the other side of the road. Two men jumped out of the defendant's vehicle then jumped back in and he sped off down Leyland Road. Mr Bond got out of his car and collapsed as his legs gave away. His vehicle was a write off while the defendant's uncle's hire car cost £2,000 to repair.

Sajjad Karim, defending, said Zaman had recently got married and this was not the best start to married life he could have made.

If he was sent to custody the chances were the length of any term of detention would not be sufficient for that conduct to be addressed in any real and meaningful way.