A 42-year-old man has received a suspended sentence after admitting driving while he was disqualified.

Stephen Robert Smithies, of Glen Road, Laxey, also pleaded guilty to having no insurance and was sentenced to 12 months custody, suspended for two years.

He was also made the subject of a Suspended Sentence Supervision Order (SSSO).

Prosecutor Michael Jelski told the court how Smithies was disqualified from driving in August 2011 with an order to retake his test at the end of the ban.

On January 24, at 4.40pm, police stopped him in the area of Creg-ny-Baa driving a Lexus.

He was asked for his licence but admitted that he did not have one and that he had no insurance.

Smithies admitted he had not retaken his test as required as he ’struggled with theory’.

Defending him in court his advocate David Clegg asked for credit to be given for his client’s guilty plea and co-operation with the police.

The court heard that Smithies had significant previous convictions but none since 2012.

Mr Clegg said: ’He would say in his younger years he was badly behaved. There is a break in his offending.’

The advocate went on to refer to personal circumstances and mental health difficulties, upon which he did not wish to elaborate in open court.

He continued: ’Since a breakdown in his relationship he has effectively spiralled out of control.

’A supervision order will be a way of him getting the help he needs.’