A MECHANIC was caught by police driving a customer's car, despite being banned from the road some four months before.

Simon David Jones, 35, of Gutter Hill in Johnstown, was stopped by police in the Caia Park area after automatic checks on the car revealed the only person insured to drive it was a female.

When he spoke to the officers on Queensway, Jones told them he was insured under his works insurance policy, but when additional checks were made, it was revealed he had been disqualified from driving in August last year.

Jim Neary, prosecuting, told Mold Magistrates Court how Jones had been banned at Cheshire Magistrates Court in August last year after being found driving with excess alcohol in his system.

The disqualification was for a period of 14 months and Jones was just four months into that ban when he was stopped by police shortly after 6pm on January 8. He said he knew he shouldn't have been driving the vehicle that day.

Probation officer Andrew Connah said Jones fully accepted responsibility for the offence and explained how his employer did not know he had been driving the vehicle and would most definitely oppose him doing so. The customer in question had been a vulnerable person, and he made the stupid decision to drive the Ford Fiesta to the garage, a journey of about a mile-and-a-half, because there was no once else around and a recovery vehicle was not available at the time. He told probation it was not something he had done before and was not sure he would keep his job after his court appearance although hoped he would be able to.

Mr Connah added Jones had in the past had a problem with alcohol but was now seeking help for that and had managed to cut down.

He had discussed the possibility of serving a curfew at a weekend, but it was unrealistic for him to complete.

Patrick Geddes, defending, said his client had been "particularly foolish" to have driven his customer's car, but did so because the firm's recovery vehicle hadn't been available at the time and the journey back to the garage was only just over a mile.

He said: "He went out of his way to help a customer and it's come back to bite him.

"This wasn't a situation where he was found to be razzing around the streets."

Mr Geddes said his client has had his difficulties in the past but was now making amends by seeking help for his problem with alcohol.

District Judge Andrew Jebb told Jones he doesn't believe there was "no other option" but to drive the customer's car that evening, although he accepted the reason given was genuine. He said the driving ban hadn't been in place very long and he should have known better than to take the chance.

Jones was ordered to serve a 12 month community order, which includes adhering to a curfew for the next six weeks, meaning he can't leave his house between the hours of 9pm-6am. In addition, the district judge also banned Jones from driving for a period of 13 months, which means a five month extension to the period handed to him last year. He must also pay a surcharge of £90 and court costs of £85.