AN elderly Barrow motorist, who collided with a car with a learner driver behind the wheel, made a “misjudgement” when he ran an amber light.

Reginald Corbett pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention during a hearing at Furness and District Magistrates Court on Thursday (13). The 81-year-old, of Derby Street, Barrow, was in a collision coming out of Morrisons Barrow car park on The Strand on November 25.

Mr Lee Dacre, prosecuting, told the court the learner and driving instructor had been heading through the green light past the Morrisons exit junction when they were struck by Corbett’s car.

Mr Andrew Gibson, defending, told the court Corbett had a completely clean licence.

He said: “He was coming out, the lights were on amber, but he thought it would cause more disruption to the traffic behind him to stop so he went through. He wasn’t aware there had been a collision, there’s absolutely no damage whatsoever to his vehicle, and the damage to the learner vehicle was a broken wing mirror, a dent and a scratch. So there’s not force there.

“There’s been a misjudgement.”

Corbett was fined £200 and ordered to pay £85 court costs plus a £30 victim surcharge. He received three penalty points on his licence.