"Menace” caught repeatedly driving when banned and with no insurance told by judge: “You have to stop.”
A “menace” caught repeatedly driving while disqualified and with no insurance was told by a judge: “You have got to stop doing it.”
Mark Hughes, 49, of Battery Hill, Bishop’s Waltham, apologised after being convicted of six charges of driving while disqualified and five counts of driving with no insurance. Portsmouth Crown Court heard how Hughes would routinely drive while banned - with the defendant claiming it was merely to “help my family”.
Hughes was caught driving on roads across the Portsmouth area but was not deterred by being banned. Matthew Parris, defending, explained the reason for his client’s flagrant breaches and said: “The reason for his offending was to provide for his family.”
The court heard how Hughes had spent three months remanded in custody, effectively meaning he had served a six month sentence - with his lawyer arguing he should not be jailed for any longer. “He has been victimised in prison and been assaulted. He has awful stomach ulcers which have been targeted in the assaults,” Mr Parris said, before adding that his client’s “mental wellbeing had deteriorated”.
But judge Michael Bowes KC said Hughes would not be in custody if he did not break the law. He said: “What he has to do is to stop driving when disqualified. He is a menace to other people.”
Hughes then interjected and said: “I’m very sorry. I messed up at the time. I just wanted to help my family.”
One of the driving while disqualified charges related to an incident Hughes was involved in on Lakeshore Drive, Cosham, on March 20. Victim Stuart Vaizey, who was driving with his disabled daughter to go and collect his wife from hospital at the time, said he removed Hughes’ car keys off him before police turned up.
Mr Vaizey, in his victim impact statement, described Hughes as a “danger to persons on the road” and said the defendant “clearly does not have any empathy for any other road user”. He added: “I feel that his driving was dangerous and lacked the skill that is required to drive on the public highway.”
Hughes was also being sentenced for three counts of theft and a charge of making off without payment when filling up his car with fuel before making-off.
Judge Bowes told the defendant: “When you drive you are a menace to others especially when not having insurance. You have got to stop doing it.”
Hughes responded: “Yes sir, I understand.”
The judge opted against a prison term and decided to impose a two-year community order with 20 rehabilitation days to “help” Hughes by providing probation support in the community. Hughes was also banned from driving for two years.