A banned driver has avoided prison after being caught driving while travelling 145 miles from his home in Peterborough to volunteer at charity event in west Wales.

Ilyas Mohamed, 34, pleaded guilty to driving without insurance and while disqualified when he appeared at Welshpool Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, April 20.

The court heard that on November 7, 2020, three months after being banned from driving, Mohamed was stopped by police near the Welshpool bypass.

Rhian Jackson, prosecuting, said that Mohamed gave a false name and date of birth and told the police that he was travelling to visit his father who was unwell at the time.

Police officers made checks on a mobile identification device and national computer database to find that the driver was Mohamed. He was then reported for the offence and his black Audi A4 was seized by police.

Ahmed Khan, defending, told the court that Mohamed "realises how stupid he was " and accepted that he provided false details after he panicked about being stopped by police officers.

Mr Khan said that the father of four felt the charity "would help him isolate from city centre life by helping out and working on a farm with animals".

"He decided that to relieve stress was to go to the charity event. He realises he should not have got into the car," Mr Khan added.

Probation officer Julian Davies said Mohamed was struggling with family issues at the time and found that the charity was beneficial for his mental health.

Chair of the magistrates bench Cynthia McVey said she was sending Mohamed, of Cromwell Road, Millfield, to 12 weeks in prison which will be suspended for 18 months. He is banned from driving for 38 months and will also need to do 10 rehabilitation days and 200 hours of unpaid work. Mohamed owes the court £213.

"You drove a long way putting the public at risk," the chair told Mohamed. "The reason for suspending the sentence is for your caring commitments to your elderly parents."