FACING the costs of the arrival of his child a man missed his day in court, only for magistrates to convict him in his absence and order more than £2,000 to be paid

But Samuel Johnston had the amount reduced when he appeared at Swindon Magistrates' Court on Monday.

He had failed to pay a £2,061 fine imposed by Salisbury Magistrates' Court on October 28 for three motoring offences.

The 23-year-old told magistrates that he had been moving house and his partner was expecting their child which is why he had missed the hearing to answer charges of driving otherwise in accordance with the law, without insurance and having tyres with insufficient tread.

Representing himself in court, Johnston, of Gerrard Walk, told the magistrates that had he been able to get to Salisbury for the hearing he would have pleaded guilty to the matters.

He said: "I received a letter after the court date saying I had to pay £2,000 by November, 25 which obviously I couldn't do."

Reviewing the sentence, magistrates told him they were going to amend his fine as though he had pleaded guilty.

Chairman of the bench Jane Flew told him: "If you do not attend court the magistrates make an assumption of what your work earnings are. We feel able to reduce these fines by a considerable degree today."

They reduced his fine from £2,061 to £960, which Johnston said he would be able to pay off at a rate of £100 a month.

Ms Flew said: "These are priority debts, and they are the one debt that can get you sent to prison. Don't bury your head in the sand."