A PENSIONER who took a garage employee's Ford Mondeo and wrote it off, causing more than £2,000 damage, faced Isle of Wight magistrates. 

At an earlier hearing, Terence Wolfe, of no fixed address, admitted aggravated vehicle taking, in which he caused damage, in Bowcombe, near Newport, on August 23.

The 69-year-old also pleaded guilty to driving without insurance, on Blackwater Road, Newport, that same day.

At 7pm, Wolfe went to CD Motors garage, in Bowcombe, demanding to see the owner about his car, in for works.

An employee, the Mondeo owner, told him he was not there and Wolfe left, but at 8.45pm he discovered his car was gone. He left the keys in the ignition. 

About 15 minutes later, the site owner told him he had seen Wolfe drive off in the Mondeo, captured on CCTV, a prosecutor said.

Wolfe was stopped by the police on the Blackwater Road, near ASDA, in Newport, with the Mondeo significantly damaged — a write off.

At an earlier hearing, Wolfe said he regretted taking the car, but felt frustrated work on his car at the garage was not finished.

Magistrates handed him a year's probation, with an order to pay £567.23 in compensation, an £80 fine, £85 costs and a £114 surcharge.