Driver's friend wrote off £30,000 Jaguar

A MOTORIST who gave his friend "a shot" of driving his £30,000 Jaguar quickly regretted his decision when his friend lost control, crashed the car, writing it off, a court heard.

At Edinburgh Sheriff Court today the car's owner, 34-year old Edward Casher of Ocean Drive, Edinburgh, was fined 265 having pled guilty to allowing Steven Jerrit, 35 to drive the car when there was no third party insurance.

Jerrit of Duff Street, Edinburgh, was fined a total of 400 for driving without insurance and careless driving. Both men had eight penalty points added to their licence.

The crash happened on October 31 last year.

The court heard Casher allowed Jerrit to take control of the car on Marine Esplanade, but driving at excessive speed, he lost control, left the road and hit an embankment. The car was a write-off.

Defence agent, Nigel Bruce, told Sheriff Graeme Warner that both men "were of an age when they should have known better".

"It was a rather expensive car " he said. "A 30,000 Jaguar".

Because there was no insurance, Casher was faced with paying 600 a month for a car he did not have. Mr Bruce said the men were paying

half each. Sheriff Warner allowed the men two months to pay their fines.