A restaurant worker in Tenby has been jailed after admitting to driving a vehicle whilst disqualified.

Forty-nine-year-old Tabasam Ahmed admitted the charge when he appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

He also pleaded guilty to using a motor vehicle in a public place without third party insurance; and obstructing a constable in the execution of their duty.

Prosecutor Dennis Davies told the court that on June 14, on the A478 in Pentlepoir, a police officer on patrol carried out a spot check and spoke to Mr. Ahmed in the Vauxhall Vectra he was driving.

The driver provided a name, but failed to produce valid insurance. On further investigation, it transpired that the defendant had given the officer an incorrect name, but insisted that his details were correct.

A traffic offence report was filed and due to Mr. Ahmed’s demeanour and the fact that further checks showed that he was a disqualified driver, he was arrested.

When interviewed at the police station, he told officers that he didn’t know why he had given false details.

The court heard how Mr. Ahmed had been convicted twice previously for driving whilst disqualified, with the latest ban being handed to him in November of last year.

Probation officer Julie Norman told the court that Mr. Ahmed was driving a vehicle that belonged to a friend, and that he had been heading from Newtown to Tenby where he worked at a restaurant and now also resided.

“He has driven a considerable distance, and wasn’t aware that he was actually disqualified, as the most recent ban had come from the totting up procedure,” Ms Norman explained.

Magistrates gave Mr. Ahmed an immediate custodial sentence of 12 weeks, and disqualified the defendant from driving for a further three years.

For the charge of having no insurance, he was given eight penalty points; and for obstructing an officer in the execution of their duty, Mr. Ahmed was given a four-week custodial sentence to run concurrently.

The defendant was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £85 and a £115 victim surcharge.