A motorist who drove home immediately after leaving court with a driving ban has been handed a suspended jail sentence.
Richard Brooks appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court on Monday and was handed a six-month ban after he was caught using his mobile phone in Barnard Castle last year, Durham Constabulary said.
Traffic officers then saw the 54-year-old get into his vehicle parked at the next-door Tesco store and drive away.
The force said that when he saw the officers in their marked police vehicle, he tried to turn around and head back into the car park.
Officers arrested Brooks, charged him with driving while disqualified and without insurance, and seized his car.
The force said after a night in the cells, Brooks was returned to the same court on Wednesday where his ban was increased to 18 months and he was given a 12-week jail sentence, suspended for a year.
The defendant, of Church Street, Guisborough, North Yorkshire, must also complete 150 hours of community service and pay a fine.
After the case, Sergeant Chris Milburn, from Durham Roads and Armed Policing Unit, said: “This is a reminder to everyone that if you’re banned from driving, then that ban starts immediately.
“Should you then leave court and get into your car to drive home, it is highly likely that we will stop you, and you will be facing a much harsher punishment – as Brooks has now found out.”
