TEENAGE driver Gareth Larmour mowed down a pedestrian just 20 minutes after buying his first car. Pine furniture assembler Larmour ploughed into pedestrian Brett Murphy in Fairfield Road, Warminster, leaving him sprawling on the bonnet of his Ford Escort.

Smashing through a metal fence, hedge, and into a factory car-park 19-year-old Larmour, who hadn't even passed his driving test, jumped out of the wreckage and fled from the scene leaving Mr Murphy for dead.

Larmour, of Blackdown Close, Warminster, admitted charges of driving without due care and attention, failing to stop after an accident, driving without a license and driving without insurance when he appeared at Trowbridge magistrates' court on Thursday.

Prosecutor Keith Ballinger said victim Mr Murphy could do nothing when he saw Larmour's Ford Escort come hurtling towards him in the accident on February 9.

He said Mr Murphy was walking towards Imber Road about 6.30pm when he heard a car speeding towards him, but could do nothing to escape being hit.

Striking him head-on, the car pushed Mr Murphy onto the bonnet, into the windscreen, through a fence and hedge and onto the ground, leaving him dazed and bloodied.

Mr Ballinger said: "Mr Murphy found himself on the floor next to the car.

"He got himself up and saw the driver running away.

"A passer-by gave chase after the driver but he was unable to stop him. He was bleeding from cuts to his head."

Larmour handed himself in to Warminster police less than three hours later and confessed to officers, "I thought I had killed him".

Larmour said he bought the car for £70 less than half-an-hour before the accident and as he drove into Fairfield Road the steering lock jammed, leaving him unable to divert the car's route.

Another witness said they saw Larmour's car speeding into Fairfield Road before the crash.

Mr Ballinger said £411 damage had been caused to the hedge with Mr Murphy claiming £100 for damaged clothes.

Malcolm Wieck, defending, said the careless driving was a charge backed up by the fact the teenager was speeding seconds before impact.

He said: "What happened there after was a moment of sheer panic.

"He ran off fearing the absolute worst.

"This is a situation which is really one of Mr Larmour's own making and he accepts that entirely."

Larmour fled towards Imber Road in the aftermath of the crash before calling his girlfriend in Yeovil from a phone box and confessing his crimes.

Magistrates adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report to be prepared by officers from Wiltshire Probation Service.

Ruling out a custodial sentence magistrates said they were looking at imposing a community punishment order.

Larmour was released on unconditional bail to appear back before Trowbridge Magistrates' Court on March 20.