AN IRAQ war veteran skipped bail over shoplifting and driving charges so he could continue building the 2012 Olympic Village, York magistrates heard.

Daniel Cunningham, 24, should have appeared in court on July 21 to answer charges of stealing from Asda at Monks Cross and driving a car on May 18 despite being under two bans imposed in 2009 and 2007.

When he did not attend, magistrates issued a warrant for his arrest and on his return from London on Friday, the Iraq veteran handed himself in to police. He was then held in custody.

His solicitor, Julian Tanikal, said: “He is a qualified joiner and does have full-time employment currently contracted with a company working on the Olympic Village in London.

“He was unable to get back for the court hearing as he did not have the financial funds to do so.”

He said Cunningham’s remand in custody from Saturday until Monday had caused problems for his company and if he was given a prison sentence, it could have difficulty completing the work on time.

Cunningham had stolen for the first time in his life because he and his partner were short of food and other items for themselves and their child and he had believed that because he was driving across a car park, the driving bans didn’t apply.

Magistrates gave Cunningham one day’s imprisonment, which he had served while on remand, and a community order. Before releasing him, they heard he had four more weeks’ work in the Olympic Village before starting a new contract in Doncaster.

Cunningham, of Milton Road, Acomb, pleaded guilty to shoplifting, driving while disqualified and failing to attend court.

It was the third time he had broken a driving ban. The community order included 12 months’ supervision, a probation service rehabilitation course and 100 hours’ unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and banned from driving for another 18 months. Katy Varlow, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said Cunningham and his partner put items in a trolley at Asda and walked out without paying.

He was banned from driving for three years in 2007 for drink-driving and driving without insurance and without a licence, and for 12 months in 2009 for breaking the earlier ban.