Young Chesterfield football coach caught driving - while banned for drink driving twice

Chris Brown, 18, was pulled over in his parents’ BMW 1 Series by police while uninsured and serving a driving ban on April 29.

However Chesterfield Magistrates Court heard Brown was also serving a 16-week suspended jail term at the time.

Brown had been handed the suspended jail term earlier in April after being caught over the limit for a second time - just one day after being banned for the same offence in November last year.

Prosecutor Fatima Laher said Brown had claimed that he was “not aware he was disqualified”.

Brown’s solicitor Kirsty Sargent told the court after her client was convicted on April 12 for the November offence a “specialist motoring firm” told him he could appeal and in the meantime the driving ban “didn’t apply”.

However the following day he was caught driving over the limit for a second time and while banned - which resulted in another court appearance and a suspended jail term.

The court heard when Brown was convicted for drink-driving on April 12 a judge told him he could not drive under any circumstances.

Judge Andrew Davison told Brown he had a “bare-faced cheek” “trying to claim this is because of solicitors when a judge told you not to drive”.

He said: “You've made some outrageous decisions - two drink driving and two driving while disqualified offences. One of them on the day after being sentenced.”

However, noting Brown’s “tender years”, the judge stepped back from activating his suspended jail term.

Telling Brown “the impact of being in prison at such a young age would never leave you” Judge Davison extended the 12-month suspension by three months.

Brown, of Hazel Drive, Walton, admitted driving while banned and uninsured.

He was handed a 12-week curfew, 160 hours’ unpaid work, fine £300, banned from driving for two years and made to undertake 10 rehabilitation activity sessions and 19 Thinking Skills sessions.

Judge Davison told “clearly immature” Brown: “You’re remarkably fortunate to be walking out of here.”

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