AN Ilminster man who chanced his luck by driving round the corner to get his baby some medication still only had a provisional licence since being disqualified seven years earlier.

Samuel Andrew Matthew Webb had been given the ban in 2011 for an offence of dangerous driving but was not allowed back on the roads until he passed an extended retest.

A police officer was on duty in the town centre when he saw the defendant at the wheel of a car and he followed him to a car park where he turned off his lights to try and avoid detection.

However after it was confirmed that Webb was disqualified he appeared before Somerset Magistrates and pleaded ignorance saying he thought he was ok to drive.

The 30-year-old defendant, of West Street, pleaded guilty to driving a Vauxhall Astra in Shudrick Lane, Ilminster, while disqualified and without insurance on January 7.

The court at Yeovil was told that he also had a number of previous motoring convictions including one for disqualified driving.

Prosecutor Andrew Escott-Watson said that a police officer was on duty in the main shopping area of the town shortly after 6pm when he saw Webb driving a vehicle past him.

“He followed him to a car park and the defendant turned his lights off which the officer believed was an attempt to escape his notice,” he said.

“However the officer went to his door and checks showed he was disqualified and had not taken his extended retest. The car was also not registered to anyone and had no insurance.”

He was interviewed at the roadside and admitted driving the car when he only had a provisional licence.

He said he had to retake his driving test but said he had been banned quite a while ago.

Webb told the magistrates that he misunderstood that he was not allowed to drive again until he had taken his driving test.

He said his young child was ill and he needed to go to Tesco to get some medication.

“Had I known I was disqualified then it would have made sense to walk to the shop which was only round the corner,” he said.

“I only bought the car two days before from a car auction and knew I had to take a retest but did not realise I was still disqualified.”

Webb said he now worked as a machine operator at Branstons Potatoes and was very sorry for the offence saying it was “a stupid mistake” which he didn’t intend making again.

A representative from the Probation Service said that Webb had displayed a lack of consequential thinking but had now taken full responsibility for the offence.

“He appreciates he was very lucky that nobody was injured or hurt and says that stress clouds his judgement but this offence has been a big learning curve for him,” she said.

The magistrates told the defendant he had come very close to being sent to prison but instead sentenced him to a 12 month community order with 200 hours unpaid work.

They also ordered him to comply with a 15 day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement to include a Thinking Skills programme and also disqualified him from driving for six months and said he must pass an extended retest before he can go back on the road.

Costs of £85 and an £85 victim surcharge were also imposed.