A MAN banned from driving 13 times walked free from court yesterday after breaching his latest disqualification.

Father-of-three Ralph Goodwin, 40, was spotted by police riding a moped along Crown Street, in Darlington, in February.

Simon Crowder, prosecuting, told South Durham Magistrates' Court that Goodwin initially denied the offence, claiming it was a case of mistaken identity, but then pleaded guilty in court to driving while disqualified and without insurance.

Chris Bunting, in mitigation, said Goodwin, of Greenbank Road, Darlington, had bought the moped as a gift for his son and was delivering it.

He urged the magistrates not to send Goodwin back to jail, saying he had full-time work, a mortgage and was paying maintenance for his children.

Magistrates' chairman Ruth Dent, sentencing Goodwin to 100 hours of community service, told him he had narrowly escaped prison.

He was also given a 12-month community rehabilitation order, eight penalty points on his licence and was ordered to pay £55 costs. He remains banned from driving until 2005.