A Cambridgeshire motorcycle menace has been convicted of driving whilst disqualified for the third time.
Ashley Copeland, 27, of Petts Close, Wisbech, admitted charges of driving whilst disqualified, driving without due care and attention and driving without insurance when he appeared at Kings Lynn Magistrates' Court on Thursday, 10th February 2022.
Magistrates heard that Copeland was riding a Kawasaki ZX600 motorcycle when he collided with a turning car on the morning of Sunday, 18th July 2021. He was disqualified from driving and therefore without valid insurance.
This latest conviction is Copeland's third for driving whilst disqualified. It would appear that he has received at least two of those convictions within the last 3 years.
Claire Edgeler, mitigating, told the court that her client suffered serious injuries in the collision. It also aggravated a neck fracture he sustained during an earlier episode of driving whilst disqualified.
"He accepts that the driving was completely irresponsible, apart from the fact it was against the law," she added.
"He's probably going to be permanently disabled as a result of what he's done to himself."
Miss Edgeler said that Copeland had purchased the motorcycle with the intention of selling it on.
"He had someone lined up the day after this collision", she added.
"His partner was out, he thought it needs a test drive and that's what he was doing.
"In hindsight it was so foolish, so irresponsible.
"In some ways, it's an addiction. The love of his life is motorbikes."
Magistrates were of the opinion that the offence was so serious that only a custodial sentence was appropriate. However, given the circumstances, they were of the view that the custodial term could be suspended.
Copeland was sentenced to 6 months' custody suspended for 2 years.
He was fined £300, disqualified from driving for 3 years, and ordered to pay £105 towards prosecution costs and £122 surcharge.
We occasionally get cases before the court where an offender is seriously injured during the commission of the offence.
It would be interesting to know if the bench gave that much consideration when deciding to impose a suspended sentence instead of immediate custody.
Here is a man who clearly has total disregard for the orders of the court and safety of other road users. Furthermore, he has previously been subject to a suspended sentence order for an earlier episode of driving whilst disqualified.
That would have been at the forefront of my mind when sentencing.
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