A DRIVER who ran his Fiat 500 into one parked vehicle in Low Bentham, pushing it into a second one, left the scene because he believed he was about to be beaten up by angry residents.

Ben Dowson, 34, feared for his safety following the incident in Main Street and on the advice of someone at the scene, left without leaving his details, heard Skipton Magistrates Court.

He went off concussed and dizzy and contacted the police a few days later, but not within the required 24 hours, and after officers had gone to his parents house.

The court heard on Friday it was 8.30pm on May 8 when Dowson in a Fiat 500 swerved to avoid a car in Main Street and collided with a parked Ford Combo. The Combo was pushed into a Dacia Duster; both vehicles were damaged and one was written off.

Interviewed later by police, Dowson said he had driven a friend to Ingleton to collect a mobile phone and was travelling at about 30mph through Low Bentham when he swerved to avoid a car and collided with a vehicle parked in a bay. People came out of their houses, some were aggressive, he thought he would be beaten up and left.

Dowson, of Main Street, Wray, admitted failing to report an accident and using a vehicle without third party insurance.

In mitigation, Mo Hussain said one individual at the scene told Dowson he would ‘kick his ******* head in’. Someone said he ought to go, he was concerned for his safety and went.”

Mr Hussain said Dowson had wrongly believed he was covered to drive the vehicle by his father’s insurance.

He added the self employed brick layer had tried to call the police, but had not been able to get through.

Dowson’s licence was endorsed with eight penalty points, to add to the three existing, for the failure to report offence.

He was also fined £408 and ordered to pay costs of £85 and a surcharge of £41. There was no separate penalty for the insurance offence and a third charge, of failing to stop after an accident, was withdrawn.