A young joyrider stole and smashed up his mum’s car, fled, then returned to the crime scene because he forgot his phone.

Tamer Maclean, 22, of Folkestone, took the keys to his mum’s VW Golf before smashing it head-on into a Vauxhall Zafira in Ashford, leaving the other driver with whiplash.

The railway worker fled the scene in Newtown Road but returned to grab his mobile phone from inside the written-off vehicle.

The father-of-one was soon arrested after police found him hiding in a field, Folkestone Magistrate’s Court heard yesterday.

Prosecuting, Julie Farbrace said: “He swerved into the right side of the road and had a head-on collision with a Vauxhall Safira.

“He was seen trying to get out of the car then fled, he returned to get his phone then fled the scene. Officers found him hiding in a nearby field.

“The victim said the car sustained heavy damage and is likely a write-off. Mr Maclean has no previous. He does not have a driving licence.”

The court heard Maclean became embroiled in an argument with his ex-partner and stole the car to drive to Ashford where she lives, on Friday, May 5.

His mother Sharon Parker, who originally filed a statement but later retracted it, said she had owned the car only for a matter of days.

She said: “I hadn’t even had the insurance documents through before he took it.”

Defending, Robert Quinn, said: “He is a man of 22 years of age who made a stupid decision. He lives with his mum and wants to buy her a new car.”

Sentencing, District Judge Justin Barron said: “Because you have no previous and pleaded guilty I’m prepared to deal with you by way of a community sentence.

“It’s quite a package of things you have to do but that reflects the seriousness of what happened.”

Maclean was given an 18-month community order of 200 hours unpaid work.

He was also punished with a four-week curfew, ten day’s supervision with probation, and disqualified from driving.