Sunderland dad now owes court more than £5,500 after driving while banned with his children in the car

Wayne Parkinson, 41, of Cowdray Road, Hylton Castle, Sunderland, was so adamant police had been mistaken he took his case to trial.

But he was found guilty - and has now been banned from the roads for a year and must pay fines and court costs of £890.

The court heard even before that penalty he owed the court £4,812 in previous fines and costs.

Parkinson was given six penalty points for driving without insurance and without a licence in March 2018, South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court heard.

And he received a 12-month ban in November the following year under the totting-up process after being caught again and admitting the same charges.

On Sunday, February 9 last year, just three months into the disqualification, he was seen alighting from the driver’s seat of a Renault Scenic in Coleridge Road, Hylton Castle.

The witness was a policeman who had been involved in Parkinson’s disqualification proceedings, the court was told.

Prosecutor Marc Atkins said: “Officers were on patrol when they saw a Renault Scenic pulling into a parking bay.

“They saw the defendant get out of the driver’s seat and go to the passenger seat.

“One of the officers had dealt with the driver on his disqualification and had knowledge that he was disqualified. The defendant said that he had not been driving.

“The prosecution says that the offence is aggravated by the fact that he was carrying passengers, particularly his children.”

Geoffrey Forrester, defending, said: “I can’t go behind the verdict, albeit to say that the defendant still denies being the driver.

“He suffers from anxiety and depression. If you impose unpaid work, I’d ask it to be the minimum.”

Parkinson was found guilty of driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and driving without a test certificate.

Magistrates also handed him a 12-month community order, with the provision of 150 hours of unpaid work.

He was fined £180 and must pay a £90 victim surcharge and £620 court costs.

When magistrates pointed out even without his latest financial punishment he owes the court £4,812 in other fines and costs, Parkinson said abruptly: “You’ve just added to it as well.”

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