Peter Nutbrown, 61, of Acomb, broke driving ban 3 times

Peter Nutbrown, 61, was banned last April for two years for driving over his partner’s leg in a supermarket car park and given a 21-month suspended prison sentence.

Jessica Randell, prosecuting, said on August 15 and August 19, his neighbour saw him drive a Kia Sportage from Woodlea Avenue onto his driveway, and on November 11, she saw him drive off the driveway onto Woodlea Avenue.

She filmed what he was doing on a mobile phone and contacted police.

Nutbrown, of Woodlea Avenue, Acomb, pleaded guilty to three charges of driving whilst disqualified.

“These offences are on one view a blatant breach of a court order, not once, not twice, but three times,” said Recorder Andrew Haslam at York Crown Court.

But he decided not to make Nutbrown serve the suspended sentence. Instead he gave him 30 days’ rehabilitative activities on how to build better relationships with people, fined him £300 and ordered him to pay the prosecution costs of £340 and a £30 statutory surcharge. He also put six points on his driving licence record.

Nutbrown’s barrister Edison Flint said the defendant’s partner, who was in court to support him, didn’t like driving the 4x4 on the driveway because it was so narrow.

Therefore Nutbrown did that part of the journey and handed over the wheel once the car was on the road.

“At the time he hadn’t appreciated that the second he got off the driveway, he was onto a public road and therefore driving whilst disqualified,” said the barrister.

“He will have been told ‘you are disqualified from driving’,” the judge said. “That doesn’t enable anyone to get into a car because it suits his domestic arrangements."

He warned Nutbrown the ban remains in place until 2020.

Mr Flint said the partner, who lives at a different address, now owns the Sportage.

Nutbrown has severe arthritis, lives on benefits, and has 300 racing pigeons at his home.

"He has serious problems with his neighbours," he said.