A HEREFORDSHIRE man has been sentenced after pleading guilty to taking a car without the owner's consent and causing damage by crashing into a parked car, along with other offences.

Bradley Meredith appeared before magistrates in Newport this month after admitting one count of aggravated vehicle taking and vehicle damage of £5,000 or over, one count of using a motor vehicle in a public place without third party insurance, and one count of driving while disqualified.

The 24-year-old was accused of having taken and driven a Mazda CX-30 belonging to another person and without their permission on November 26 last year, before colliding with a parked Audi A4 in Hereford and causing damage.

He was also found to have driven from Rowlestone, where he lives, to Llanfoist while disqualified from driving and uninsured.

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Magistrates handed Meredith a suspended prison sentence of 20 weeks, suspended for 12 months. They said the offences were so serious that only a custodial sentence could be justified, but chose to suspend the sentence.

This was because, they said, Meredith had a realistic prospect of rehabilitation and told him to abstain from consuming any alcohol for 120 days.

He will be required to attend appointments with the probation service for up to 10 days of activities, and to wear an electronic tag.