Banned driver stopped by police as he drove his son to school

Farmer Michael Gray was banned from driving in his absence in February at another court for nine months as a totter - because he had exceeded the maximum number of penalty points, the court heard today (Friday).

On October 5, a month before his ban was due to end, he was stopped by police as he drove a Isuzu D-Max on the A59 at Beamsley.

The officer was acting on information received about a driver believed to disqualified from driving, the court heard. The officer questioned Gray; he admitted he was a disqualified driver and told the officer it was the first time he had done it.

Gray, 47, admitted driving while disqualified in court on Friday and using a vehicle without third party insurance.

The court heard in mitigation that Gray could have pleaded exceptional hardship when the nine month ban was imposed in February, but he had chosen not to.

He had always ordered a taxi to take his son to school, but on October 5, the taxi had not turned up.

His father, who he ran the farm with, had been diagnosed with a serious illness and was not able to drive, so he had made the decision to drive his son to school.

The court heard while Gray could drive on the farm, high on the hills above Ilkley, as it was private land; the loss of his licence would have a great impact on the running of the business. Two letters in support of Gray were read out in court, including one from his father, asking for the court to be lenient.

Magistrates told Gray, of Hardings Lane, Langbar, Ilkley, while it was a serious matter of which he could have been jailed, they had taken into account his early guilty plea and his circumstances and would not impose another driving ban.

For driving without insurance, he was fined £800 and his licence was endorsed with eight penalty points. There were also costs of £85 and a surcharge of £80.

There was no separate penalty for driving while disqualified, but his licence will be endorsed.