A DRIFFIELD man who drove a car in the town centre while banned from driving has been ordered by a court to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work.
Richard Barry Thomas, 36, of Grosvenor Court pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified and using a motor vehicle without third party insurance when he was brought before magistrates in Bridlington last Wednesday.
Prosecutor Heather Levett told the court that at 2.30pm on December 14 Thomas was stopped by police while driving a Vauxhall on Georgian Mews.
When asked by the officers if he had any insurance Thomas told them “I don’t have any insurance, there’s no point in lying,” Mrs Levett said.
The court heard that Thomas was a banned driver, having lost his provisional driving licence for totting up penalty points, and was classed as “disqualified until test passed.”
Thomas, who represented himself for the hearing, told the bench that he had started driving again to find work and he was about to take his test when he lost his licence.
“I got the car going because I needed to find work because there’s nowhere in Driffield to find work,” he said.
“I was about to put in for my test and then I got done for totting,” he added.
Thomas told the court that he had totted up the penalty points for similar offences such as driving without insurance or tax.
Standing the case down for the Probation Service to prepare a sentencing report presiding magistrate Michael Bowman said: “We think this is more serious than normal, you just have a total disregard for the fact that you’re disqualified.”
Lesley Stephenson of the Probation Service told the court that Thomas understood his mistake and realised he must pass a driving test to be able to drive legally.
For driving while disqualified Thomas was handed a 12 month community order, which includes 80 hours of unpaid work. He was also given six penalty point on his licence.
For driving without insurance Thomas’s licence will be endorsed and he was fined £110. He must also pay court costs of £40 and a £15 victim surcharge.
“You’re still disqualified, you’re still to take a test,” Mr Bowman warned Thomas before he left the courtroom.