A TREGARON man ploughed into the back of a van while driving despite being banned from the road, magistrates heard.

Daniel Bennetta, of 3 Minygors, Station Road, admitted careless driving, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance after he drove into the back of a van at Coxhead on 7 February.

Magistrates heard that it was the second charge of driving while disqualified that Bennetta had been convicted of, with Bennetta admitting to a probation officer that he had been “chancing his luck” that he wouldn’t get caught.

While Bennetta admitted the driving while disqualified charge, defence solicitor Alan Lewis said the February offence had actually taken place before he was sentenced in April for a separate offences of driving while disqualified.

Prosecutor Rhian Jones said police had seen a crash on the A485 where a Fiesta which had been driven by Bennetta was being moved to a lay-by.

Officers heard from a van driver that he had stopped on a left-hand bend to allow a lorry to get past, but Bennetta had come around the corner and ploughed into the back of the van.

When the driver spoke to Bennetta, 24, he asked him not to call the police as he had no valid licence and had no insurance.

Ms Jones said the van driver had sought medical treatment after receiving a bang on the head during the incident and that while he had been able to drive the van after the incident, it had since been written off by his insurance company.

She said Bennetta was currently banned from driving until April 2018 after being made subject to a community order and ban in April this year.

Mr Lewis said Bennetta had initially been banned from driving in October 2016 for six months after totting up points on his driving licence.

He said Bennetta had completed more than half of that ban before the incident in February, and was then convicted in April despite that offence happening after the February offence.

Bennetta had “had a shock” when he learnt how seriously the court took driving while disqualified charges and now realised how foolish he had been.

Mr Lewis said the crash had been a “momentary lapse” while Bennetta had been going through a difficult period, but that things were now looking up after he had found part-time work, which he hoped would become full-time.

Bennetta was banned from driving for six months, meaning he will still be banned until April 2018.

He was also made subject to a community order for 18 months and will undertake 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days, 20 sessions of a thinking skills programme and 120 hours of unpaid work. Bennetta will also pay costs of £170.