A MAN will find out today whether he will spend time behind bars after ignoring a court order.

Ben Wallace, 25, appeared at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court yesterday after being charged with driving his Vauxhall Astra despite having been disqualified just weeks earlier.

Prosecutor Linda Fowler said the defendant had been disqualified on December 18 at Leeds for 24 months.

But on January 31 police officers stopped him driving along the carriageway in Heckmondwike and when interviewed he admitted the offence.

Robert Dawson, defending, said: “After Mr Wallace was disqualified from driving by the courts he lost his job. He had worked in the printing industry and part of his job meant he had to be able to drive.”

He said since then Wallace had set up business on his own account and because his partner was learning to drive had not got rid of his car.

Mr Dawson added that on the day in question: “The car was there on the driveway.

“Mr Wallace had something he needed to do, it was not an emergency.

“He made this very foolish decision to drive the motor vehicle.

“He had only just left when the police noticed that the tax disc had expired and did some checks.

“Interviewed by officers, he made full and frank admissions.

“He has now got rid of the car and the temptation has gone.

“Clearly the defendant has put himself in jeopardy. Having said that, there was no planned evasion. This was a one-off. He drove some 40 yards at most. ”

Chairman of the bench, Barry Lockwood, said Wallace, of Walkley Lane, Heckmondwike, would discover his fate today.

Mr Lockwood told him: “We have listened to all that has been said so we are still at custody level until we have something from a pre-sentence review.”

Wallace was granted unconditional bail until today when he will be sentenced by a different bench.