week for a number of traffic and fraud offences.

Jeremy Whitecross, 20, of Middle Park Lane, pleaded guilty to escaping Police custody, committing three counts of fraud, two counts of disqualified driving, two counts of driving an unlicensed vehicle, two counts of driving without third-party insurance, and having two unpaid traffic fines.

Police prosecutor Sgt. Anthony Mouchette said Whitecross was taken to the Hamilton Police Station on warrant matters at 2:15 p.m. on December 23.

Just after 5 p.m. Whitecross was taken to an enclosed courtyard, Sgt.

Mouchette said.

While in the courtyard Whitecross escaped by scaling the wall and was found at around 7:30 p.m. at his girlfriend's house in Warwick.

But Whitecross yesterday told the court that he had been given permission to leave by the jailer.

He said he had left the jail through a door, not by climbing over a wall.

Magistrate Edward King gave him a six-month conditional discharge for escaping custody and ordered him to pay $1,500 of unpaid fines for unpaid traffic tickets.

He also ordered Whitecross to pay $3,050 for the nine other traffic and fraud offences for which he appeared in court also this week.

Whitecross was also banned from driving for an additional two years.

"You'll be back on the road just in time to drive into the 21st century,'' Mr. King told him.