An unemployed man who was caught behind the wheel by police during a driving ban “foolishly” broke the law after being offered a day’s work, a court has heard.

Daniel Beer was laid off before the coronavirus pandemic and therefore couldn’t be furloughed resulting in his financial situation becoming “absolutely desperate”, Ipswich Crown Court was told on Monday, September 21.

Beer, 36, of Ellough Road, Beccles, admitted driving while disqualified and breaching a suspended sentence order.

Extending his current suspended sentence until August next year and giving him a further eight week sentence suspended for 12 months for driving while disqualified, Judge Rupert Overbury said he appreciated the difficult situation Beer had found himself in but warned him that if he drove while disqualified again he would be going to prison.

In addition to the suspended sentences Beer was banned from driving for 18 months.

Lynne Shirley, prosecuting, said Beer was subject to a 12 month driving ban when he was stopped by police in Flixton Road, Blundeston, on July 9 on suspicion of driving while disqualified.

He admitted being a banned driver and told police he had been laid off and had made the decision to drive his partner’s car because he was short of money and had been offered a day’s work.

Miss Shirley said Beer was stopped by police about 10 miles away from his home.

Jude Durr, mitigating, said his client had three children who didn’t live with him and he lived with his partner who had two children.

He’d been asked to mend a fence panel by a family friend who was worried about her dog getting out and had made the “foolish” decision to drive his partner’s car on the day in question to earn some money.

“His financial circumstances were absolutely desperate,” said Mr Durr.

He said that due to him being laid off before COVID-19 he wasn’t eligible for the government’s furlough scheme.

Mr Durr said the police had been alerted by a public spirited member of the public who had seen him getting behind the wheel of his partner’s car.

He said Beer now had the prospect of the “job of a lifetime” working abroad 28 days on and 28 days off and he hoped to be in a position to take the job if he was offered it.