A teenage stable hand, frustrated by his repeated failure at passing his motoring theory test, only made his situation worse by taking his father’s car to make it to the shops when the horses’ feed ran out.

Joshua Bowell, an 18-year old from Cospicua, was tending the animals at his father’s Kalkara farm on Tuesday evening, when he realised that the feed was running out.

Rather than get someone else to replenish the supplies, the young man just slipped behind the wheel of his father’s Volkswagen Passat and made off to fetch the feed himself, giving little thought to the consequences of his decision.

It was towards 7.30pm that the unlicensed driver was stopped and arrested after being found in breach of various provisions of law.

Marched to court on Thursday, watched over by his anxious mother, the teenager admitted to taking the car without his father’s authorisation, driving in a negligent and dangerous manner, in excess of legal speed limits and without exercising full control over the vehicle.

The young man was further charged with driving without a police licence and the necessary insurance cover, as well as with disobeying police orders.

His defence lawyer, Joe Giglio, explained that the young man was registering an admission even though he was aware that he was facing a possible maximum fine totaling some €3,500.

“Though aware of their son’s frustration at repeatedly failing to make it through his theory driving test, his parents are worried by his insistence upon driving his father’s car nonetheless,” Dr Giglio explained.

Even prosecuting inspector Josric Mifsud remarked that the police wanted to ensure that the young man did not hurt anybody when driving without the necessary licence.

In the light of such circumstances and upon his own admission, duty magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera fined the accused €2,500 payable in monthly instalments of €69.50 and banned him from obtaining his driving licence for a period of one year.