A BANNED driver caught illegally riding a motorbike while on his way to a Probation appointment was warned he faces jail if he does it again.

After earlier offending, a court gave 37-year-old Mark Riddick a ban until he passes an extended test, which he has yet to do.

Yet he illegally rode the motorbike in the city centre on August 8 last year - the sixth time he has committed the offence. At Carlisle’s Rickergate court, a district judge pointed said the defendant had “ignored his ban for years.”

Riddick, of Orton Place, Carlisle, admitted disqualified driving as well as having no insurance and breaching a community order.

Prosecutor George Shelley outlined the facts.

He said the police officers who spotted the defendant riding along Devonshire Street, Carlisle, made various checks which confirmed that there was no insurance for the motorbike and so they decided to question the rider.

“He informed the officers that he was disqualified, and said that he’d been riding to work, with no insurance,” said Mr Shelley.  The defendant was unsupervised and had no L-plates.

The court heard that Riddick has 52 offences on his record and five of these were for driving while disqualified. A Probation Service worker in court also revealed the details of the defendant’s breach of his existing community order.

She said Riddick missed appointments and he needed to complete a “Building Better Relationships Course”, but he was running out of time to do so. She asked for the order to be extended.

The officer added that the defendant had experienced problems with his mental health, but he was willing to complete the course.

Duncan Campbell, for Riddick, told the district judge: “He was riding to a probation appointment. What he said to the police indicates an openness... He wasn’t trying to hide anything.”

The lawyer said Riddick was an experienced car body shop worker and he was currently in a probationary period having landed a job with a garage, where he knows one of the directors. The defendant had raised his mental health difficulties with probation staff and they too praised his openness, said Mr Campbell.

District Judge John Temperley asked the defendant whether it crossed his mind as drove while disqualified and missed appointments that he was risking his liberty.

Riddick replied: “I wasn’t in a good place in my mind; I was a bit stupid. I was homeless and trying to survive. I jumped on it and didn’t think.” Under further questioning, he said that his place of work was a five minutes’ walk from where he now lives.

“I made a stupid mistake and it’s my fault that I’m here now,” added Riddick.

Judge Temperley told him: “You have really placed yourself in jeopardy today. The [probation] report has been highlighted on your behalf is relatively positive about you. You have attended most of your appointments.”

But the defendant’s record placed his offending in the custodial bracket.

The judge extended the earlier community order by six months so Riddick can complete the Building Better Relationships Course and he imposed a 12-week jail term, suspended for a year.

The sentence includes 180 hours of unpaid work as well as a further 25 hours for the breach of the community order. Riddick was again banned from driving for a year and told he must still pass and extended test before driving independently.

Riddick must pay £214 costs and a a £154 victim surcharge.

As the case concluded the judge told Riddick: “When you came into court, I was pretty set on sending you to prison but I have been persuaded by what I have heard and read; but I am not going to give you another chance, I can tell you straight away.”