A TOLLADINE man only discovered he had been banned from driving when police pulled him over to carry out a roadside check on his car, magistrates have heard.

Wayne Munden told Worcester magistrates he had no idea he had been disqualified from driving until police carried out the roadside test on Wednesday, January 30, more than two weeks after his ban.

Geoffrey Dunn, prosecuting, said Munden had been disqualified in his absence on Tuesday, January 11, at Stratford-upon-Avon magistrates court, through the totting up of endorsement points.

"The defendant was pulled over for a straightforward check, but they showed that the defendant had been disqualified," he said.

"He was arrested and interviewed by the police, in which he confirmed it was him driving the car but said he didn't know he had been disqualified."

Munden, of Avon Road, Worcester, admitted driving while disqualified and without insurance during the hearing on Friday.

But, giving evidence, he claimed he had not received correspondence saying he had been banned.

Problems

He added he had agreed with the Warwickshire-based court to return the relevant forms and did not feel it was necessary to attend the hearing on January 10.

However, the former heroin user accepted he had been experiencing problems in getting his mail after January's court hearing because he had changed addresses.

"I had fallen out with my sister at the end of December and was not allowed to go back to her house, which was the address I had given during the correspondence," he said.

"My ex-girlfriend went back on my behalf and was told my post had been ripped up."

"I had tried to contact the magistrates court but could not find a number. However, I was not expecting a ban. If I had known I was going to be banned I would not have driven."

Susie Duncan, defending, confirmed Stratford magistrates had sent the correspondence to his sister's home.

Magistrates accepted the special reasons for the offence but banned Munden from driving for three months for driving without insurance and fined him a total of £150 for the two offences.