Motorist arrested for driving to court to be sentenced for driving while banned

08 September 2023 , 13:42

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Osvaldas Zeniauskas outside Norwich Magistrates' Court (Image: Newsquest / SWNS)

A motorist was nicked by cops for driving while disqualified – while on his way to court to be sentenced for the same offence.

Osvaldas Zeniauskas, 35, was pulled by bemused officers in King's Lynn, West Norfolk, while heading to the town's magistrates court. He had taken a loan of his brother's car because he thought he was going to be late for his hearing – despite already being banned after he was caught doing 118mph on the A47 while disqualified.

The cops who stopped him were amazed to discover him back in the driving seat less than a mile from where he was about to be sentenced for the same offence and in a tweet, King's Lynn Police said: "We stopped a man driving while disqualified who was on his way to court for... driving while disqualified."

Kings Lynn resident Zeniauskas appeared before Norwich Magistrates' Court yesterday to be sentenced for both the original and new offences after he had earlier pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified, speeding and having no insurance after being stopped on the A47 at Terrington St John, Norfolk on December 17 last year. Police had clocked him blasting down the dual carriageway doing 118mph, then found out he was also banned.

Prosecutor Wayne Ablett said he had also failed a breath test at the roadside though later readings were below the limit. Mr Ablett said by driving to court to be sentenced, Zeniauskas had shown a “complete disregard for the order of the court”. However, Annette Hall, mitigating, said: “He has made a monumental and significant error of judgement. He has explained to me there is no excuse for his decision to drive.”

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He had told cops he feared he was going to be late for court and that he would then be arrested. Ms Hall added: “He was in difficulties getting to the court, but he made a huge mistake by stupidly borrowing his brother's car. He clearly did not think about his actions in the most sensible way.”

Magistrates jailed him for 18 weeks suspended for 18 months and banned him from driving for a further two years. They also ordered him to undertake 150 hours unpaid work, 50 rehabilitation days and undergo alcohol monitoring for 90 days. They told him: “You have shown a complete disregard for the law by driving yet again while disqualified which the court takes an extremely dim view of."

by Harrison Moore