Police caught banned South Yorkshire motorist who drove over 300 miles to Cornwall

Sheffield Magistrates’ Court heard on August 20 how Dale Kitching, aged 33, of Rufford Avenue, Athersley North, Barnsley, was stopped by police in Cornwall during an insurance check on his vehicle.

Susan Fisher, prosecuting, said Kitching had originally been banned from driving for six months in January, 2021, due to a totting up of penalty points but just one month before his ban was due to expire he was caught on June 23, this year, driving in Cornwall.

Ms Fisher said: “He was stopped driving a vehicle because he was showing up as having no insurance and he was disqualified.”

Steel erector Kitching pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified and to driving without insurance.

Clarkson Baptiste, defending, said: “He knew of the disqualification and went out on the road because he had a month left on the disqualification until July 28 and he thought he could take a chance whilst working away from home.”

Mr Baptiste added that even though Kitching was disqualified from driving, there had been no other aggravating features about his driving when he was caught by the police.

Magistrates told Kitching they were concerned that he had driven so far with a disqualification and without insurance.

They warned the defendant that driving while disqualified can result in custody but they sentenced him to a 12 month community order with 100 hours of unpaid work and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £95 victim surcharge.

Kitching was also disqualified from driving for another six months.

LATEST: Troubled South Yorkshire drug-dealing grandmother is spared from jail after she was caught with drugs at her home

COURT: Judge tells Sheffield affray offender he is not to blame for his brother Marcus Ramsay's death