A banned driver was caught behind the wheel again just 16 days after being disqualified for a year, a court heard.

Paul Christie, 19, who has totted up 54 penalty points on his provisional licence, has now been locked up for 56 days.

Christie, of Chalk Road, Higham, was followed by police as he drove into the car park at Shorne Woods Country Park, near Strood. They carried out checks and found he had been banned 16 days earlier.

During interviews Christie admitted he knew he shouldn’t be driving and pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified and without a licence when he appeared before Medway magistrates last Tuesday, July 5.

Just weeks previously, our sister paper - the Medway Messenger - reported how a motoring organisation criticised the previous sentence Christie had been given for 10 counts of driving without insurance and 10 counts of driving without a licence.

On that occasion, Christie also admitted 10 charges of making off without paying for fuel at petrol stations in Strood, Gravesend, Dartford and Longfield and one of shoplifting. He was still on a conditional discharge for a previous offence when he appeared in court for sentencing on May 31.

At the time, he was told to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work, banned him from driving for 12 months and ordered to pay £376 compensation and £85 costs. That led to an insurance expert from the AA calling for tougher laws to deal with uninsured drivers.

At last week's hearing, magistrates were told Christie had not yet turned up at a probation office to start his community order or his unpaid work requirement.

Canel Halil, defending, told the court his client was looking for work and wanted to provide for his family as his girlfriend was three months pregnant and he had a two-year-old stepdaughter.

Through his solicitor, Christie claimed he had only been driving as his stepdaughter had a fever and he was taking her to hospital. However, magistrates heard Christie had not mentioned this to officers when he was arrested.

Magistrates jailed Christie for 56 days and banned him from driving for a further 25 months.

Christie, who cried in the dock when he realised he was going to prison, was also told to pay £115 costs. Magistrates also revoked his community order.