A banned driver ignored his disqualification because he didn’t want to risk his colleague taking him to work after drinking.
Michael Carter was then left without a lift and, panicking that he would lose his job, got behind the wheel.
His mistake cost him dearly as magistrates decided to ban him for driving for nearly another year.
Carter, 40, pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified and using a vehicle without insurance.
His Ford KA was stopped by police in Dewsbury Moor on April 27. Kirklees magistrates were told.
They pulled over the vehicle on Heckmondwike Road because it activated their automatic number plate recognition system as the registered keeper was a banned driver.
Carter was banned from driving in October last year for drink driving and his ban was not due to end until January next year.
Emily Price, mitigating, explained that he had been struggling for employment and was doing agency work at the time.
He’d been offered a lift by a colleague but the previous evening he said that he’d drunk a lot and Carter was worried that he would still be under the influence of alcohol the next day.
Mrs Price said: “He struggled to make other arrangements to get to work and made an ill-advised decision to drive to work.
“His vehicle was still outside because he had struggled to sell it after his disqualification.
“He panicked at the thought of losing his employment. He’s verry sorry he finds himself in this position today and he knows he shouldn’t have driven the car.”
Chairwoman Kathryn Beney said that while Carter, of Norristhorpe Lane in Liversedge, was responsible in not getting into a car with his colleague he was “totally irresponsible” in taking the risk and driving himself.
He was banned from driving for an extra 11 months and fined £309. Magistrates told him that he must pay £85 prosecution costs and £30 victim surcharge.
