DRIVER Michael Reeves, who at first denied driving into a parked van, changed his mind and finally pleaded guilty to failing to report an accident.

Kennet Magistrates' Court on Tuesday was told by his solicitor he was a very naive man.

Reeves, 39, of Mayenne Place, Devizes, had originally told police he knew nothing of the incident.

Anna Humphreys, prosecuting, told the court that a landscape gardener had parked his firm's Ford Transit van outside his house in Mayenne Place on June 29 last year. A neighbour had called round and advised him to look at his vehicle.

He saw that the rear nearside light had been broken. The neighbour told him she had heard a crash and saw a red Peugeot 205 hit it. She said she saw Reeves get out of the car, go to his flat and then return to the car and drive off, doing a lap around the block before returning home.

When interviewed by police, Reeves said he knew nothing about it and he had been having a barbecue at the time.

Miss Humphreys said that Reeves had originally pleaded guilty and a trial was due to take place on Tuesday. But Reeves had changed his plea at the last moment.

Ioan Gealey, defending, said Reeves denied having anything to do with the incident because he was very frightened of getting into trouble.

He said: "He is an extremely nervous individual and a very nave man. I don't think you will see him in this court ever again."

He asked that Reeves, a driver for Wiltshire Waste Recycling, could lose his job if he was disqualified as part of his sentence.

Reeves was fined £150, ordered to pay £118 costs and his licence was endorsed with five penalty points.