A Milford man who took a friend’s car without consent has been given a 12-month community order in court.

Twenty-seven-year-old Grant Michael Irivine Gerrard, of Picton Road, Hakin, pleaded guilty to charges of taking a motor vehicle without consent; using the vehicle on a public road without third party insurance; and driving the vehicle otherwise in accordance with a licence, when he appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

He also admitted possessing 14 grammes of cannabis at the same hearing.

Prosecutor Ellie Morgan told the court that at around 11 am on April 26, police officers followed a silver Peugeot car driven from the Mount Estate in Milford Haven onto Chestnut Way.

“When stopped, Mr. Gerrard, who was the driver, admitted to officers that he’d taken the vehicle which belonged to a friend and also that there was cannabis inside the car,” she said.

Later in a police interview, the defendant said, ‘Everything I was doing today was totally wrong’.

Defence solicitor, Mr. Jonathan Webb told magistrates that his client admitted the offences straightaway.

“He was trying to be a Good Samaritan and had driven a friend to the doctors for an urgent appointment,” he explained.

A report from the probation officer said that Mr. Gerrard had suffered problems with anxiety and depression, and he had substituted using legal highs in recent years, with cannabis, after he had been rushed to hospital with medical complications. The court heard how the defendant spent £110 a week on cannabis.

For taking the vehicle and cannabis possession, magistrates imposed a 12-month community order on Mr. Gerrard, with a requirement of 110 hours of unpaid work in the community.

For having no insurance, the defendant had six points endorsed on his driving licence, and a further three points for the licence charge.

He was also ordered to pay costs of £85, an £85 victim surcharge and compensation of £150 to the victim.