New driver Richard Harker landed himself in hot water when he tried to soak his friends by driving through a puddle ... but missed and drenched an elderly lady.

Harker, 18, pleaded guilty on Friday to driving without consideration for other road users at Skipton Magistrates Court.

A-level student Richard said after the hearing: "I didn't mean to do it."

This week his mother Carol hit out at the prosecution, branding it a waste of time, effort and taxpayers' money.

Harker, from Glusburn, was fined £50 and had his licence endorsed with three penalty points, having earlier been warned that he could face a 12 month ban. He was also ordered to pay £50 costs.

Prosecutor Caroline Midgley told the court how Harker's 'victim' Lilian Whitaker had been walking past a bus shelter in Cross Hills when she spotted Harker's fawn coloured Fiat Uno coming up behind her.

"The car drove through a puddle and splashed water over her, reaching up to her shoulder.

"Fortunately she was wearing a long raincoat so her other garments were not wet," she said.

Harker had also splashed another elderly lady at the same time. Her cream coloured coat was left covered in muddy water from the puddle.

However, Mrs Whitaker managed to note down Harker's registration plate in her library book when he returned from the opposite direction a few minutes later.

Fearing being wetted again, Mrs Whitaker crossed the road just as Harker drove past a third time but did not splash her.

She reported the incident to police when she got home to Sutton-in-Craven. Mrs Midgley added: "He accepted ownership of the Fiat and accepted having intentionally driven in the puddle to splash some lads he knows from the South Craven School because he thought it would be funny, but he had no intention of splashing anyone else."

In mitigation, John Mewies, said Harker had been greatly concerned about the case since first being interviewed by police last December.

"He had no intention whatsoever of causing annoyance, distress or alarm to Mrs Whitaker. He does not know her and would not have done what he did if he knew she would be inconvenienced in the way she was.

"There is no evidence to suggest he deliberately deviated from his course and he apologises to Mrs Whitaker."

After the case Harker said: "I didn't know anything about it until about a week later when the police came round to my house. They said there was a complaint against me for splashing someone and they were here to take a statement and said I would be hearing from the court.

"They said it might go to court. I was surprised at that. I thought it was weird that they are taking it up.

"It's not the old woman who has taken this - it's the police themselves. I did not think they would take something like that this far.

"The police said the woman was wet through but it was throwing it down that day anyway."

Richard has now been forced to sell his beloved first car for just £30 after it failed its MOT test.

He said: "It's affected my studies because I've had to go to court three times now during school time and I've missed about four or five lessons.

"I take my exams this summer and I'm supposed to be revising but I can't because I've been so worried about this.

"I've been talking to mum and dad a lot about this and I've had to see the solicitor a few times after school so I've missed out on a lot of work.

"I offered to pay for the woman's dry cleaning and I told the police that."

Harker's mother Carol said: "What a waste of time, effort and taxpayers' money. It should not have come here. If Mrs Whitaker was so upset then why did she not come to me and we could have apologised and paid for her dry cleaning there and then. Richard was not even aware of her being there."

"You can't avoid that puddle - the slightest bit of rain and a puddle collects in front of the bus shelter.

Retired shoe shop manageress Mrs Whitaker, 73, said she was pleased to hear her splasher was no longer on the road.

She added: "It was a very unpleasant experience.

"I was more worried about the other woman he splashed than about myself. That is why I took his number and reported him to the police."

North Yorkshire Police said: "We take all such complaints seriously and have an obligation to follow them up. It is precisely for incidents of this kind that that particular offence exists.

"It is there to protect other road users, and in that sense if someone makes a complaint to us we are obliged to look into it. If we find evidence that an offence has been committed, we take appropriate action. This can result in a conviction and endorsements, which are indications of how seriously we take this kind of offence."

Opinion p10

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