A motorist who "takes the mickey" out of the law has been caught flouting a driving ban - for the eighth time.
Because I'm not so sure it's the recidivist, actually, but the justice system itself.
In July 2019 this newspaper reported how Darren Nicholas Derwin, of Horne Road, grinned as he learned he would not be jailed for his latest offence at the time.
He was already subject to a suspended jail sentence for theft when police caught him driving while disqualified... for the seventh time.
The police must have wondered why on earth they bothered when they rang him through the PNC, mustn't they?
His defence counsel had suggested his client had become mixed up about the date his latest ban ended.
The judge retorted: "You’re taking the mickey – he has ignored driving bans all his life.”
Turning to Mr Derwin, he added: “I’m going to impose a prison sentence. But I’m going to suspend it” – whereupon Mr Derwin turned to a companion in the public gallery and grinned.
And why not? There are, after all, absolutely no consequences. Which encourages other scofflaws:
As Mr Derwin left the dock there was a commotion as his companion remonstrated with the judge for imposing a fresh driving ban, telling him: “This is a joke. I’m trying to get him back on the straight and narrow and now you’ve banned him again.”
Err...
Clearly, he has even fewer brain cells than the judge he's complaining about!
In addition to the ban and suspended sentence, Mr Derwin was ordered to pay £85 costs, plus a statutory victim services surcharge of £115.
But on Monday, March 29, Mr Derwin was back in the dock at Reading Magistrates' Court. There, he admitted his eighth offence of driving while disqualified.
Yet again, the court ordered pre-sentence reports to be prepared on an 'all options' basis, including custody. Mr Derwin was meanwhile released on unconditional bail.
More 'pre-sentence reports'..? What do they think might have changed since the last one? As far as I can see, the answer's 'nothing'.
H/T: I R Jackson via email
The point of a driving ban is to keep dangerous drivers off the roads. If a dangerous driver continues to drive after being banned then obviously some other method needs to be found to keep him off the roads.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, a driving ban should have the effect of a suspended prison sentence, drive while banned and go to prison for the period of the original ban. Then serve the original ban once released from prison. Of course that would rely on judges implementing the suspended sentence. Maybe judges should have to activate a suspended sentence if the offender reoffends. I mean, that's what suspended sentences are for, isn't it?
"The police must have wondered why on earth they bothered when they rang him through the PNC, mustn't they?"
ReplyDeleteI tend to have a low opinion of the police but, in this case, I can really empathise. They really must think, what is the effing point? This scrote gets banned from driving but is able to carry on driving with zero consequences. The answer to the problem is to ban him from driving again. Hopefully he will crash and off himself and do us all a favour.
I trust that you may consider covering plod 'fist bumping' at their own video when they broke the arm of an elderly, dementia-suffering woman. A prime case of uniformed psychos 'Taking The Mickey'.
ReplyDeleteMTG 1 how on earth can you hope to be taken seriously when your so far off topic its unbelievable. Your statement may well be a serious matter or it may not be but to make it like you have here does you no credit at all.
ReplyDelete@ Anonymous
DeleteBeing distinctively plod sourced, any message in 'you're inglish' cannot be taken seriously.
Melvin plays the man not the ball again. Not just "plod" think you're a boring loser
ReplyDeleteJaded
Its best to read comments by Melvin in the same way you read some newspaper columns, for entertainment value only.
ReplyDelete"In my opinion, a driving ban should have the effect of a suspended prison sentence, drive while banned and go to prison for the period of the original ban."
ReplyDeleteSadly, I rather doubt we have the prison space...
"Hopefully he will crash and off himself and do us all a favour."
🤞