A MOTORIST who crashed his car as he left a Harrogate pool then worried about reporting the incident for fear of reprisals, the town's magistrates were told yesterday.
The court heard how James Bagley, 83, who swims daily at Starbeck Baths and is a member of a veterans' team, had driven his car into a Vauxhall Astra left outside owner Philip Darvill's home, in Belmont Terrace, Starbeck, on September 23.
Mark Haigh, prosecuting, said loud engine noise caused Mr Darvill to look out of a window in time to see what he believed was ''an inexperienced driver'' hit the front passenger side of his Astra before driving off.
Bagley, of Forest Lane, Harrogate, pleaded guilty to careless driving, failing to stop after an accident and failing to report the incident.
He escaped a ban, but six penalty points were imposed, along with fines totalling £350 and £50 costs.
Chris Newton, mitigating, said: ''He didn't stop after the accident as he was mindful of problems he had had in the area."
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