AN UNEMPLOYED man from Swindon caught driving without insurance for the second time in two years escaped a driving ban this week because magistrates agreed it would cause him exceptional hardship.

Kalvin Robert Baker, 51, of Candler Close, Old Town, appeared at Swindon Magistrates Court on Tuesday and admitted driving without insurance on February 10 this year.

The police prosecutor told the court that Baker’s Renault Megane had been seen driving on Newport Street, Swindon by an officer in a marked police car equipped with number plate recognition equipment.

The equipment indicated that the Megane was uninsured and Baker was stopped by the officer and asked for his insurance, the prosecutor said.

Baker produced a letter from an insurance company but when the officer contacted the company he was told the insurance had been cancelled due to non-payment.

Representing himself, Baker apologised to the court and said he had been under a lot of pressure lately and had to drive to Birmingham every week to see his son.

He told the magistrates he thought he was insured and that the money was deducted every month but admitted that he should have checked.

He said he was trying to better himself and was taking a course in landscaping so he could earn a living for his family and come off universal credit.

He already had eight points on his licence for a previous no insurance offence which he said had been an oversight.

Chairman of the bench Amanda Lee sentenced Baker to six penalty points on his licence but told him he would not be disqualified from driving because of the exceptional hardship that would cause him.

She added, however, that the 14 points would stay on his licence and he could not use the same arguments against disqualification again.

Baker was also fined £80 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a victim surcharge of £30.