A DUNFERMLINE man who has repeatedly ignored driving bans has been jailed for 18 months.

Callum Welsh had previously been jailed for repeatedly driving while disqualified but that did not stop him committing the same offence again.

Welsh, 27, of Allan Crescent, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He admitted that on October 2, at Robertson Road and Beatty Place, Dunfermline, he drove while disqualified.

He also admitted driving without insurance.

Welsh further admitted that on July 12, at Tesco, Turnstone Road, Dunfermline, he stole a Bluetooth car speaker and also failing to appear for a court hearing on October 9 while on bail.

Depute fiscal Azrah Yousaf said that at 9.30am on October 2, police stopped Welsh when he was driving a car with a broken rear light. He got out of the car and tried to escape but was apprehended nearby.

Of the shoplifting, she said: “At around 3.20pm, he was at Tesco and was seen to help himself to the speaker. He was tampering with the box, attempted to remove the security tag and then took it out of the box and tried to walk out the main door with it.

“He was stopped by security staff and there was full recovery.”

Defence solicitor James Moncrieff said: “This was an opportunistic theft. He wanted to purchase this item but was struggling with funds. He was caught red-handed and is apologetic.”

Sheriff Craig McSherry, who had previously jailed Welsh for similar road traffic offences, told him: “You have continuously failed to appear for court and you have continuously failed to comply with court orders. This is your fourth conviction of driving while disqualified.”

He jailed Welsh for a total of 18 months and banned him from driving for 10 years.

In September last year, Welsh was jailed after being caught driving while disqualified for the third time in three months.

At that time Sheriff McSherry called Welsh’s actions as “some of the worst instances of complete defiance of court orders”.