The Magistrate’s Court heard on Tuesday that Michael Martins’ car collided with the wall on St. Saviour’s Hill on 18 December last year at 05:30, after claiming to have swerved to avoid an oncoming motorbike.

Advocate Katie Ridley, prosecuting, said that his vehicle had “ended up on the opposite side of of the hill” and that the car had moved “approximately 50 metres” in the collision.

Martins pleaded guilty to charges of failing to stop and report the incident, as well as driving without due care and attention.

Advocate Nicholas Mière, defending, told the court that his client attended police headquarters at around 05:00 in the afternoon on the same day to report the incident.

Martins left the scene of the collision without his car keys, wallet or phone, according to Advocate Mière. Advocate Mière said: “He can’t account for the twelve hours between the crash and going to the police station, he may have been suffering concussion.

“As far as he was aware he went straight to the police station to report the incident, he was shocked that such a passage of time had passed.

“Had he not been in such a confused state of mind, he would have got to the police station sooner.

“He has no recollection of the incident after [the collision], he was going to collect his cousin.”

Advocate Mière added that if a defendant had been trying to “cover their tracks” they would not have left their phone, wallet or car keys inside the vehicle.

Martins has three relevant convictions since October 2017, which include driving without due care and attention and not stopping for a police officer.

The court also heard that Martins needed to drive for the purpose of his job.

Magistrate Peter Harris said: “There was no specific evidence of the speed by which you were driving, you travelled for 50 metres after the point of impact, you cannot have been travelling at a low speed.

“I don’t fully understand your explanation of how it [the incident] occurred.”

Mr Harris banned Martins from driving for six months. He said he had initially considered a ban of 12 months but was “mindful” of Martins’ employment.

Martins was fined a total of £3,500 for both charges and will pay at a rate of £200 a month.