Banned Wearside danger driver caught at the wheel handed three-year roads’ ban

John Lawson, 36, was stopped by police as he drove a Vauxhall motor in Whickham, Gateshead, on Sunday, February 23 last year, a court heard.

Checks at the roadside on Whickham Highway revealed Lawson, of Brentwood Road, Shiney Row, Co Durham, was driving without insurance.

They also showed he was disqualified for dangerous driving in 2017 and should not drive until he had passed an extended test, which he had failed to do.

At South Tyneside Magistrates, Court, Lawson pleaded guilty to charges of driving while banned and driving without insurance.

Prosecutor Chike Anieto said: “Police, while travelling along Whickham Highway, saw the defendant driving his vehicle.

“They activated their emergency lights so that the driver would stop, and he pulled over and identified himself as John Lawson.

“The police did checks and found that he was disqualified and driving without insurance. The vehicle was seized, and the defendant arrested.”

The court was told Lawson has 25 previous convictions from 52 offences and has several drug-drive convictions on his record.

John Williamson, defending, said Lawson had been before another court in September and the two driving matters should have been dealt with then.

He said the fact they had not, had led to Lawson being arrested on a warrant and kept in cells for two days ahead of his latest court appearance.

Mr Williams told magistrates: “He is a banned driver after a conviction at Newcastle Crown Court for dangerous driving and he has not passed his extended test.

“If you are disqualified for dangerous driving, you are disqualified until test passed.

“I’m going to ask you to disqualify him, which isn’t particularly relevant because he can’t drive until test passed.”

Magistrates imposed Lawson’s new ban on the driving while disqualified charge and imposed a 12-month conditional discharge.

They imposed no separate penalty for driving without insurance and ordered him to pay a £26 victim surcharge

John Lee, chair of the bench, told Lawson the driving charges should have been dealt with when he appeared in court in September.