A customs officer who was banned from the roads for drink-driving was found behind the wheel the day after his sentence, Magistrates’ Court heard yesterday.

Vladimir Focke, 25, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving while disqualified.

The court heard police officers were on patrol when they were informed that a man who had been banned from the roads was driving a vehicle.

Officers traced the vehicle to Southampton and performed a licence-plate check, where the driver’s disqualification was confirmed.

Officers pulled over the driver, discovered to be Focke, and arrested him.

The incident took place last Thursday.

Audley Duncan, for the Crown, recognised Focke’s early guilty plea, but added that he was caught the day after he was banned from the roads.

Mr Duncan said that Focke, from Warwick, had been caught drink-driving on July 29 and faced the matter on August 25.

He told magistrate Tyrone Chin that Focke was banned from the roads until February 28, 2028, over that offence.

Mr Duncan reminded Mr Chin that he had the discretion to ban him for an additional three years.

Aqueelah Simmons, for the defence, reminded Mr Chin of her client’s early guilty plea and asked that he be banned only for one year.

The magistrate further heard that Focke had a job with the Department of Customs as well as a child, both of which meant he might need his vehicle.

Focke told the court: “It was an oversight. I didn’t think it through and I apologise.”

However, the magistrate said: “How would you react if your child was doing this?”

Mr Chin added another year to Focke’s road ban and fined him $1,000, which he ordered him to pay by September 29.

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