A banned motorist who told a court he drove while disqualified for a second time because of his pregnant girlfriend has been given a suspended jail sentence.

Garon Williams, of Ord Road, Paget, told Magistrates? Court his girlfriend had to stop driving on July 12 because her stomach hurt so he took over despite being banned from the roads.

He was disqualified for a year last November after driving around a roundabout in the wrong direction while impaired by alcohol. On that occasion, he was found by Police officers to have crack cocaine in his car.

The day after his latest offence, on July 13 this year, he appeared in court for driving while disqualified on June 9 and was convicted and fined $1,000.

Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner asked him why that fine hadn?t been paid yet.

The 24-year-old said he had just started work a couple of months ago and had been through a bad time as his girlfriend had also had cancer. ?I?m working, I do have a good job,? he added.

Mr. Warner said he would not fine him again as he had not paid the first fine. Instead, he imposed a three-month prison sentence, suspended for a year.

?You get the best of all worlds,? he told Williams, who pleaded guilty. ?You ain?t got no fine and you are not going to jail. But if you come again you are going to jail.? He ordered that the $1,000 for the earlier offence be paid by November 24.