However, Vella was caught driving a month after his conviction and charged with driving while disqualified.
Counsel Lisa Grant said Vella thought that once the 28-day licence suspension had ended he could carry on driving, not realising he had to apply for a year-long interlock licence.
"Mr Vella didn't realise that he was indefinitely disqualified until he applied for an interlock licence."
Grant told the court that Vella's last conviction was in 2011 and that court-imposed disqualifications had in the past proved effective.
She said Vella needed to be able to drive to work as he was employed on three farms and submitted that a community-based sentence was appropriate.
"He needs to keep working so he can pay for the interlock device which costs $133 a month. He would be affected quite badly if he was disqualified."
Judge Bruce Northwood noted Vella had been convicted several times in the 1980s and 1990s for driving while disqualified.
"On this latest occasion your driving was unremarkable, there was nothing connected with your driving that made you a danger to the public. You simply made a mistake as to the nature of the disqualification. It was a lack of knowledge."
Judge Northwood told Vella he must make the interlock sentence work.
He sentenced Vella to 100 hours community work but did not extend the disqualification because the effect on his ability to work would likely be serious.
"The reason I have imposed a community based sentence is that this is not a first offence and the penalty must reflect the seriousness of the offending."
