A former patient of the Bellevue Hospital was taken before the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday after he drove away a parked car and crashed into another.

The accused, Ricardo Burke, is charged with driving away a motor vehicle without the owner's consent.

The court was told that the complainant parked his car and left the key in the ignition. Burke drove the car away and after a short distance crashed into another car, causing damage to the complainant's motor vehicle.

Burke told the court that he was sorry for what he had done. He said, "I need to go home, sir, please. I will never do it again, sir. I was at Bellevue and mi run whe and mi see a car an mi go inna it and drive it. Mi cyaan drive, but mi did a try drive and mi lick inna one car."

He told the court that he ran away from the institution because he was not getting his medication. "Mi did a try go home a mi yard, sir," he said.

Burke is to return to court on April 29. He was remanded and is to undergo psychiatric evaluation.