history of driving while disqualified.

Michael Skinner, 17, of Cheriton Lane, Pembroke, pleaded guilty in Magistrates' Court to driving away a Yamaha motorcycle without permission, driving it while disqualified, and driving without third party insurance.

Sgt. Earl Kirby, prosecuting, said the owner of the motorcycle, Kalim Zuill, left the cycle at Salt House Lane, Smith's, around 10.45 p.m. on August 28.

When he returned about 12.30 a.m. the cycle was missing.

Sgt. Kirby said the cycle was reported stolen and at 1.30 a.m. Police on duty on Middle Road in Warwick saw Skinner riding the cycle.

When stopped, he told Police he took the cycle because he wanted to follow his friends into town.

Skinner, the court heard, has been convicted four times in the past year for driving while disqualified.

Last August, he was taken off the road for a year for driving while disqualified and fined $350. In October last year, he was banned from driving for 18 months and fined $250 for the same offence.

In November last year, he was fined $250 and taken off the road for two years.

And in February this year, he was fined $500, and taken off the road for another two years. He was also given a three-month suspended prison sentence for two years.

Senior Magistrate the Wor. Will Francis said he would not activate the prison sentence.

But he said he was concerned about Skinner who continued to ride even though he was off the road until June, 1999.

"You've got one of the worst records of driving while disqualified that I've seen,'' Mr. Francis said.

"Just about every couple of months you're arrested for driving while disqualified. This is you're fifth offence of driving while disqualified and here you are still at school.'' Skinner is scheduled to be sentenced on September 20.