A man from Milford Haven who admitted riding his Kawasaki 500cc motorcycle whilst disqualified has been banned for a further 12 months.

Twenty-four-year-old Robbie James Russant, of Birch Mead, The Mount Estate, pleaded guilty to charges of driving on Hamilton Terrace when disqualified; using a motor vehicle without third party insurance; and using a motor vehicle without a valid test certificate, when he appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

He also admitted two bail act offences at the same hearing, namely failing to appear in court for a hearing the week before.

Prosecutor Vaughan Pritchard-Jones told magistrates that the defendant was subject to a 16-week suspended prison sentence for two years, for aggravated vehicle taking, which also resulted in a driving ban. The sentence which was imposed last month was suspended for two years, the court heard.

"Two days after the disqualification was imposed, Mr. Russant was seen riding his motorcycle on a public road. He didn't turn up in court for a hearing last week and a warrant was issued resulting in the defendant being taken into custody," Mr. Pritchard-Jones explained.

Mr. Russant's solicitor, Jonathan Webb, told the court that his client had done something very foolish.

"He's a stranger to the court system, and couldn't hear very well when he was previously sentenced, but accepts that he was probably told that he was disqualified from driving.

"He has not disrespected the court orders, he just misunderstood them.

"The bail act offence puts him in breach of the suspended order. Once he found out that there was a warrant for him, he contacted the police and was picked up in Llanelli and spent five minutes in the cell before appearing at court there," continued Mr. Webb.

Magistrates told the defendant that they would impose a new suspended order in addition to the previous one, for 10 weeks, suspended for two years.

Mr. Russant was disqualified from driving for 12 months, and also told to pay a criminal court charge of £150, costs of £100 and an £80 victim surcharge.