YORK magistrates have told the son of a woman with cancer he must return to the UK to face justice.

Niculae Marius Chelaru, 33, is currently in Romania, having gone there in early June, his solicitor Ashfaq Chowdhury said.

“He is very much at his mother’s bedside,” said Mr Chowdhury. “She has had major surgery for cancer.”

The 33-year-old asked to be sentenced in his absence for an offence of cocaine driving, committed in January.

But magistrates said: “We feel it would not be the right way forward.”

They told the solicitor to tell Chelaru he will have to attend court in person and adjourned the case until September 2 for him to attend.

Romania is currently on the amber list of countries for travel.

Chelaru, then living in Amber Street, The Groves, York, was arrested for drug driving on the A1237 York Outer Ring Road on January 31. He has a previous drink or drug driving conviction.

Mr Chowdhury told the court: “He has instructed me to plead guilty for him,” adding that Chelaru was happy for the case to be dealt with in his absence.

“He has no immediate plans to return to the UK,” he said.

Chelaru is a Romanian national who had been working in the UK, but had returned to his native country when his mother was diagnosed with cancer.

The letter summonsing him to court had gone to his UK address and he had heard about it three days before the court date.

The solicitor showed a paper he said was evidence about the mother’s condition, written in Romanian.

Magistrates said Chelaru would have to attend because there was a possibility he would receive a prison sentence.