A DRIVER who made off after the scene of an accident before handing himself in the next day has been fined.

David Walton, of Culzean Court, Consett, “panicked” after crashing his car into another one after not giving way at a junction in Consett, on September 10, 2016.

John Garside, prosecuting, said the 35-year-old “exchanged words” with the other driver before walking away from the scene without giving his details.

He handed himself into police the next day and admitted careless driving, failing to stop after an accident and failing to report it. The joiner was also in breach of a suspended sentence.

Joanne Hutchinson, mitigating, said her client had a clean licence and supported his three children.

Magistrate Ruth Dent did not activate Walton’s suspended sentence but ordered him to pay a £227 each for the charges of careless driving and failing to stop and gave him six points on his licence.

She gave no separate penalty for failing to stop but did order him to pay £85 in costs and a £22 victim surcharge.