Banned driver caught behind the wheel again after being spotted going the wrong way down a one-way road
Gary Lee Elliott, 26, of West Crescent, Easington, admitted the charge when he appeared before South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court.
The dad-of-three also pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention and driving without insurance.
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Hide AdThe court heard this was the second conviction for driving whilst disqualified.
Glenda Beck, prosecuting, said the defendant was in a Volkswagen Jetta which he had recently bought in the Holmeside/Vine Place area of Sunderland in the early hours of the morning on August 26.
She said: “The defendant drove the wrong way down a one-way street.”
When police questioned the defendant he said he hadn’t realised it was a one-way street.
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Hide AdRichard Copsey, defending, said: “The disqualification he received in March was nearly finished and he bought a car with the intention of doing it up.
“It was a stupid thing. Some friends from the Easington area asked him to take them out.
“He got a bit lost and went down a bus lane. He pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.”
The court heard Elliott lives with his partner and is the full-time carer for their three children.
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Hide AdA spokesman for the probation service said Elliott suffers from anxiety and depression.
Elliott was given a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and banned from driving for 13 months. He was also ordered to pay £85 costs and a £122 victim surcharge.