A Holbeach man who claimed he didn’t know he was disqualified from driving was caught behind the wheel by a speed camera.
Jack Matthew Earnshaw (28) was five months into a six-month ban when he was clocked doing 60mph in a Ford Transit on the A17 between King’s Lynn and Sutton Bridge.
The legal limit for that class of goods vehicle is 50mph.
Earnshaw did not attend a court hearing in February last year at which he was banned for six months under the totting up procedure. He had twice failed to provide information to the police.
King’s Lynn Magistrates’ Court was told on Thursday that Earnshaw told police that correspondence about the hearing and subsequent ban had probably been sent to a former address because he had not updated his details with DVLA.
He told officers he wouldn’t have driven if he’d known he was banned.
Earnshaw, of Cranmore Lane, pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified and speeding on July 27 last year.
In mitigation, solicitor Andrew Cogan quoted George Carmen QC’s words to the jury in a 1992 libel case involving former MP David Mellor.
“He said he had put his head in the sand thereby exposing his thinking parts. I regret to say that is the problem with Mr Earnshaw and what he was doing about his whereabouts.
“If he had done that he would have known about the court case,” said Mr Cogan.
Earnshaw was told by the bench that he had narrowly escaped 12 weeks’ custody.
He was disqualified from driving for six months, fined £460 and ordered to pay £85 costs and £46 victim surcharge.
For the speeding offence, there was no separate penalty but his licence will be endorsed.
