A disqualified driver claimed he “did not realise” he was banned after being spotted behind the wheel.

It was Daniel Ciungu’s “unusual” manner of driving that made police pull him over on December 20.

Ciungu was seen braking at a green light before turning into a one-way system in Lynn, and his Skoda Octavia also had a deflective brake light.

Once stopped, police realised that Ciungu had been disqualified from driving for 12 months on October 29, meaning it was just a matter of weeks before he decided to get behind the wheel again.

The unemployed 35-year-old appeared at Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, where he admitted driving while disqualified and without insurance.

In mitigation, Ruth Johnson said that Ciungu did not realise he was banned, and suspects that a letter informing him of this was sent to his old address.

“He now fully accepts there was a disqualification in place for 12 months,” Ms Johnson said.

“He did not know he was disqualified, so there was no deliberate act about it.”

Probation officer Lewis Spicer said that Ciungu, of Freeman Street in Grimsby, expressed that he did not want to complete unpaid work as part of his sentence.

“I said the court would ask for his unsuitability to complete unpaid work rather than his preference,” he said.

To Ciungu’s disappointment, he was handed 100 hours of unpaid work as part of a 12-month community order.

He was also disqualified from driving for a further 18 months and had to pay a £114 victim surcharge.

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