Douglas teenager pleads not guilty to stealing car

Police allegedly found the vehicle abandoned in shrubs

A Douglas teenager has been accused of stealing a car after finding it unlocked with the key in the ignition.

The 15-year-old, who can't be identified for legal reasons, appeared at Douglas Courthouse.

He pleaded not guilty to taking the car without consent, under-age driving and having no insurance on 22 February.

The court was told a member of the public rang police, in the early hours of 22 February, to report a car being driven erratically on Ballakermeen Road.

Police arrived and discovered the Ford Focus had been abandoned after getting stuck in shrubs at the back of the former Noble's Hospital on Westmoreland Road.

The hearing was told officers found the boy nearby hiding behind a parked car and he was arrested.

Magistrates refused bail and the boy was remanded to secure accommodation to appear again on 16 March.