A 31-year-old man accused of driving away a car without permission, was fined $20,000 or six months when he appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court on Thursday.

The court heard that on December 26, at about 7:10 am, a neighbour reportedly alerted the complainant and told her that she had seen the accused, Joseph Benjamin, driving a 1995 Honda Accord. The car reportedly belongs to Benjamin's brother, but is in his mother's care. He has no driver's licence.

The complainant, who is Benjamin's mother, told the court that she later heard that the car had been involved in an accident. The car was extensively damaged.