Disqualifed motorist caught driving months before five-year ban end

Jan 28 2010 West Lothian Courier

A DISQUALIFIED driver was caught on the roads just months before a five-year ban was due to end, a court was told this week.

Livingston Sheriff Court heard Malcolm Chalmers was spotted by police officers driving a car into the car park at Livingston Centre on September 14 last year.

A background check on the vehicle by officers on patrol discovered there was no record of the car being insured and that Chalmers had been given a five-year ban from driving when he had appeared at Stonehaven Sheriff Court in May 2005.

At the sheriff court, Chalmers, whose address was given as Linden Grove, Livingston, pled guilty to driving while disqualified and without any insurance.

His solicitor, Stuart Peebles, said: “If this was coming before the courts four or five years ago I would be in great difficulty as his record for these offences have previously led to a custodial sentence being imposed.

“But I am going to ask your lordship to punish him with a community service order and probation because of the number of years that there have been since he last offended. “

Chalmers was sentenced by Sheriff Alan Millar to 120 hours of community service and was also banned from the roads for five years .

However, Sheriff Millar told the accused: “You have a terrible record in terms of road traffic offences.

“Indeed, you have been convicted for driving while disqualified by the courts nine or ten times and a similar number for driving without insurance.

“If you find yourself in this sort of situation again my advice would be to order a taxi.”