Horncastle man drove while disqualified - and refused to give his details to a PCSO

Mark Joshua Preston, 24, of North Street, admitted driving whilst disqualified and without insurance, when he appeared at Boston Magistrates’ Court on May 10.

Prosecuting, Jim Clare said that on the afternoon of April 19, a PCSO in Wainfleet Drive saw a Ford Focus parked on a farm track.

He said the officer saw Preston go to the vehicle and get into the driver’s seat but when he approached him he refused to give him any details and drove off.

Police were called and found Preston on foot but with the keys to the car in his pocket and he admitted he had been driving and that he knew he was banned.

The court was told he had been disqualified from driving for six months in February for careless driving and no insurance offences.

Mitigating, Mark Hudson said Preston had taken a risk.

“He knew he shouldn’t have done this but he didn’t appreciate how serious it was,” he told the magistrates.

After hearing that Preston was on a post sentence supervision order under the Probation Service, they ordered him to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work for the community and banned him from driving for a further six months.

He was also ordered to pay £170 in costs and charges.