A slew of outstanding traffic fines resulted in jail time for a 24-year-old Smith’s man, said to have “a history of not coming to court and not paying fines”.

Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo also ordered Herscheo Minks to pay $1,560 within six months to the victim of an earlier theft.

Mr Tokunbo made the remarks as Minks appeared in Magistrates’ Court after missing a sentencing last Friday for driving without a licence on October 9.

He fined Minks $150 for the offence, plus $100 for disobeying a traffic sign, and banned him from driving for a year.

Questioning why the accused had not paid restitution to the people he had stolen from, the Magistrate said that Minks had abused the trust of others — and had three previous convictions for stealing.

He ordered him to pay back his victim by April 30, 2015 and sentenced him to three months’ imprisonment, suspended for 15 months, with 15 months’ probation and the requirement that he attend anger management counselling.

Minks tried to plead not guilty to an additional charge of using a hand-held device while driving, but when he admitted that he had been listening to music, he was fined $300 because that constituted use.

Turning to old unpaid fines of $500, $250 and $150, Mr Tokunbo told Minks that he would have to settle them immediately or serve 50 days’ imprisonment. He put him on remand until he paid.