A man who drove while he was both disqualified and subject to a suspended prison sentence has been jailed for more than eight months.
Ashli Christopher Taylor, 32, had been punished by a judge in March for dangerous driving. He received a suspended six-month term of custody and 12-month driving ban.
But within three months, on 9th June, a police constable saw Taylor illegally driving a Ford Transit van in the Oldside area of Workington. As the officer turned to follow, Taylor went off-road, abandoned his vehicle and briefly disappeared. He surrendered and allowed himself to be handcuffed.
The incident, Carlisle Crown Court heard today, lasted only a minute.
Taylor admitted driving while disqualified. Two sentencing hearings were adjourned because he suffered epileptic fits while outside court; but instead of attending a third he moved to the North East seeking to conquer his drug and alcohol problems independently.
His barrister, Anthony Parkinson, told today’s sentencing hearing he had reduced his drink intake and stayed away from class A substances. Mr Parkinson asked for the imposition of punishment to be deferred so Taylor, of Needham Drive, Workington, could “prove his worth”.
However, the judge, Recorder Peter Atherton, opted to sentence Taylor, imposing a total of 35 weeks’ imprisonment for the suspended term breach, disqualified driving and failing to attend court. He had 66 past offences to his name — and was handed a six-and-half-year jail term in 2016 for heroin supply crimes.
Hearing Taylor’s attempt to kick his habits had proved beneficial, Recorder Atherton said: “I hope it is. Long may it continue. But you can’t manipulate court orders in that way for your own benefit. That’s not how it works.”
Taylor must serve a 12-month driving ban when released from custody.
The judge also told Taylor: “Not only can you not be driving because you are disqualified, you can’t be driving because of your medical condition. It is incredibly dangerous.”
