Jail for banned driver too anxious for public transport
A banned driver who was too scared to take the bus has been jailed after being caught driving home from work. Police stopped Reece Horne in Anstey and he admitted he had been disqualified for previous offences. Not only was he banned, he was also subject to a conditional discharge and two suspended sentences for previous crimes including stealing from his employer, battery, possessing a hidden knife and driving while disqualified and under the influence of cannabis and cocaine, a court heard.
At Leicester Crown Court[1] on Friday, Judge Ebrahim Mooncey told Horne, 30: “The courts have bent over backwards to avoid sending you to prison but there comes a point where what else can we do? It’s impossible for me to impose another suspended sentence. “When you keep breaking the law, it’s the only alternative the court has.” Horne, of London Road, Coalville[3], was jailed for 38 weeks and after his release from custody will be banned from driving for 18 months.
The court heard Horne had 16 previous offences on his record, including several for driving while disqualified. The latest incident happened at about 4.30pm on Thursday, October 19, when Leicestershire Police[4] officers spotted a car driving through Anstey that had cloned number plates. When the officers spoke to him after he had pulled into a pub car park in The Nook, roofer Horne, who had a workmate in the car, admitted having no insurance and being banned but said he didn’t know the plates were fake and had only bought the car for GBP1,200 the day before.
Paul Tubb, representing Horne, said is client suffered with anxiety and couldn’t face going on buses. He added that Horne had been pressurized into driving on that occasion. He said: “He is sorry for what he’s done and he recognises the consequences of his actions.
After losing his job as a result of a previous conviction he started work as a roofer and the arrangement was he would be picked up and taken to work by his employer.
“However, his employer was battling an addiction to alcohol and he was put under pressure to do additional work at weekends when he boss was not in a position to drive him.” He said his client had never been to jail before and it would be particularly hard on him with his anxiety and fear of being around people.
The previous offences Horne stood to be re-sentenced for after breaching the previous court orders included:
- Driving under the influence of cocaine and cannabis while also in possession of a knife disguised as a bank card
- Punching at a person’s head during a row – the blow was blocked but Horne admitted battery
- Driving while banned with no licence, no insurance and no MOT
- Stealing 41 parcels and 39 ‘freight items’ from a warehouse where he had been working
References
- ^ Leicester Crown Court (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
- ^ Driver claims blackout caused smash into parked cars at village junction (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
- ^ Coalville (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
- ^ Leicestershire Police (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)