DESPITE being banned from the roads in April a man was found behind the wheel of a car by police officers where he admitted he hadn’t stopped driving despite the disqualification as he needed to drive to get to work.

Magistrates imposed a suspended sentence order on Shane Maslen and told him that if he was found driving again he would be going to jail.

The magistrates sitting in Swindon on Wednesday heard from crown prosecutor Pauline Lambert that on June 25 police with an ANPR camera caught sight of a 52-plate BMW that they suspected was uninsured.

“They stopped the car and spoke to Mr Maslen who showed up on the computer as being disqualified from driving until April 11, 2017,” said Ms Lambert. “When interviewed he said he knew he shouldn’t have been driving as he had been banned in April of this year. The BMW is registered in his wife’s name and he has been driving it since his ban, mainly for work. He has had to drive to work to keep his family, he would not usually use the car at weekends.”

The court heard his year-long ban had been imposed in April after he drove a car on Cricklade Road with no licence or insurance and then tried to obstruct a police officer.

The 28-year-old painter and decorator has a record for other driving offences including a conviction from 2009 when he was found to be driving with no insurance and driving whilst disqualified and another conviction from 2004 for dangerous driving and no insurance. He also has £3735 outstanding in court fines.

His defence, Gordon Hotson, told the court his client, who lives on Inglesham Road, had found himself in a very difficult position following his ban in April. “He was trying to continue to work, his employers were unaware he had been disqualified and he wanted to try and continue to try earning money for his family and he foolishly decided to drive whilst disqualified,” he said.

“Since then things have moved on positively. The employer now knows he is disqualified and won’t expect him to get to work sites. Someone has been employed who can drive him to and from sites. He no longer has any need to drive for work purposes.

“This offence was committed as a result of him being put in a very difficult position as a result of the disqualification and not thinking things through as he should have done.”

The magistrates imposed a prison sentence of 12 weeks which they suspended for two years. He must also complete 120 hours of unpaid work and complete the thinking skills programme under the guidance of the probation service. He must also pay £85 in Crown Prosecution Service costs and a victim surcharge of £115 which will be consolidated with his existing fines.

He was further banned from driving for 12 months, which will run concurrently with his current ban and on until July 12 of next year.