A MAN who defied a driving ban for the second time in three months in West Fife has been jailed for six months.

When Alexander Proctor was stopped by officers in Aberdour he set out to deceive them and gave them a friend's name instead knowing that he was disqualified.

Proctor, 25, of Whytehouse Mansion, Kirkcaldy, previously admitted that on Christmas Eve, at various roads including Eastern Access Road, Dalgety Bay; the A921, High Street, Aberdour; and Lower Glebe, Aberdour; being a person disqualified from holding or obtaining a licence to drive a motor vehicle, drove a motor vehicle while disqualified.

And, at Lower Glebe, Aberdour, he pretended to two constables then in the execution of their duty that he was his friend when he well knew this to be false with the intent to pervert the course of justice and did intend to pervert the course of justice.

Depute fiscal Dev Kapadia told Dunfermline Sheriff Court that at around 1.30am on Christmas Eve, police officers were on mobile patrol when a Vauxhall Astra caught their eye.

The vehicle had a damaged brake light and the registration number was partially skewed.

They began to follow it and spoke to the accused when the car stopped.

He first asked if he had been stopped because of road tax issues, the court heard.

However, the officers explained that was not what they intended to investigate.

He provided the name of his friend and when checks were made, officers found that name had a driving ban against it.

The accused said he did not have any identity documents on him and confirmed that he didn't have a middle name.

Suspicion brewed when officers could see that the name of the friend supplied did have a middle name.

Once he realised he had been rumbled, Proctor said he had not given his details because he was disqualified from driving.

He was then arrested.

Defence solicitor Stephen Morrison said his client "quite quickly revealed his true identity".

"He knew his number was up, so to speak," Mr Morrison said.

He told the court that Proctor had been at a friend's house in Dalgety Bay and the name he gave was another friend of his.

A number of people had gathered at Dalgety Bay into the small hours and he had only drunk one bottle of beer which was evident by a breathalyser test that he passed.

"He was not going to get a lift home from anybody and did not have enough money for a taxi," Mr Morrison said.

"He seems to have asked his friend to use his van and although he knew what he was doing was wrong, he did not at the time appear to realise the seriousness of the situation that he now finds himself in.

"He regrets his behaviour."

Sheriff James Macdonald said: "This is your second offence for driving while disqualified committed within the space of three months.

"On the last occasion, Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court imposed a relatively lenient sentence.

"It's clear to me that sentence has done little to deter.

"The matter involves a deliberate action on your part and what is more you set to deceive police officers on your true identity."