A TEENAGER wrote off his friend’s new BMW when he rear-ended it on the M4, Swindon Youth Court heard.

The 17-year-old Londoner, who cannot be named as he is under 18, was behind the wheel of an older family friend’s Vauxhall Corsa.

Magistrates were told the pair were driving back to the capital, having picked up the new German motor.

Prosecutor Nick Barr said the boy – who was 16 at the time – and the other man were driving along the outside lane of the M4 between junctions 17 and 16 on July 21 last year. The BMW was in front and the Corsa behind.

The boy clipped the car in front. “The BMW spins out of control and ends up facing the wrong way down the hard shoulder,” Mr Barr said.

Both drivers were spoken to by a Highways England officer. The BMW driver collected his property from the car, got into the Corsa and they drove away.

The prosecutor said: “They were subsequently spoken to at the Costa Coffee in Faringdon by police officers.”

Appearing before Swindon Youth Court with his mother, the boy pleaded guilty to driving without a licence or insurance.

Luke Jameson, defending, said his client had been offered money by the older man – a friend of the family – to come with him to buy a car then drive his old vehicle back. The boy could not remember how much cash he had been offered.

“It was obviously a stupid thing to do and we’ve just seen why it is a stupid thing to do. He’s certainly shown remorse to me in consultation,” he said.

“Mum is very concerned. I think his movements are going to be tracked a lot more vigilantly than they have been in the past.”

The boy, who has hopes of being an electrician, told magistrates: “It was stupid. I won’t do it again.”

And his mother revealed she had had no idea he was so far west.

She said: “He’s a lovely boy. I’m shocked. I didn’t know that he was even that far from home.

“It’s not normal behaviour. It’s not something I deal with on a regular basis. It’s so out of character.

“He’s a good boy, loves his family.”

Chairman of the bench David Barrand said: “You need to be careful about people who are older than you unduly influencing you or trying to influence what you do.”

Handing down six penalty points and ordering he pay £106 in costs and surcharge, the magistrate said: “Even though we’ve heard you are very remorseful, this actually is a very serious offence.

“You could have been killed. Someone else could have been killed. It could have ended very differently. That’s why we take this very seriously.”