A former Senator stood up for his errant nephew who appeared before Magistrates? Court yesterday charged with a string of motoring offences, and helped him keep his licence.

Kenneth Bascome asked Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner not to disqualify 18-year-old Kevin Foggo from driving after the court heard how the teenager sparked a Police chase through St George?s Parish.

Crown counsel Oonagh Vaucrosson said officers had been conducting speed checks at Kindley Field when they saw Foggo on his green Peugeot travelling east at 64 kph.

They pursued the speeding driver, who adopted a racing position and increased his speed. He failed to give way to other drivers when travelling around the roundabout, travelled along Mullet Bay Road and then ignored a stop sign on Ferry Road.

More Police officers were called to the scene and Foggo, of Waterloo Lane, St George?s, was eventually caught hiding at the Bermuda Biological Station for Research.

Foggo pleaded guilty to speeding and driving in a dangerous manner in relation to the incident. He also admitted to speeding at 57 kph in August and speeding at 56 kph in October ? offences for which he had previously failed to show up at court.

He had nothing to say to Mr Warner except that he was ?an asset? to his job as a tiler in Warwick and needed to get to work.

But his uncle Mr. Bascome, a United Bermuda Party senator until he stepped aside to make way for Gina Spence-Farmer earlier this month, said: ?I would ask you not to disqualify him. This was a surprise to me and to his mother.?

He explained that Foggo had initially been riding a cycle that he had borrowed from his uncle, but had decided it was not fast enough, so had borrowed a more powerful bike from a cousin to get to work in Dockyard.

?If he loses his licence it will be very disruptive to him as far as transport is concerned? added Mr. Bascome.

Mr Warner said: ?This court is not unreasonable, but we cannot allow these youngsters to act with impunity.?

He banned Foggo from driving all vehicles apart from 50cc auxiliary cycles for 12 months, plus a total of $1,260 for dangerous driving and the three speeding tickets.