A BLACKBURN council worker caught behind the wheel three weeks after being banned has started a three-month jail term.

Burnley magistrates told Joseph Mark Bullock, 31, he had shown flagrant disregard for court orders and committed the offence so soon after being disqualified.

Bullock, lives at Brockenhurst Street, Burnley, and had carried on driving to work in Darwen each day. He admitted driving while disqualified, no insurance and no test certificate.

The court heard the defendant was disqualified for two years on January 19. He was than stopped on February 8.

Dylan Bradshaw, defending, said Bullock had been faced with the prospect of giving up work because public transport would not get him there on time, so he chose to drive there. His main concern was to continue work and not have to make his family a burden on the state. Bullock had always worked and supported his family.

Mr Bradshaw said this was the defendant's first conviction for driving while disqualified. He was aware he could go into custody and had learned his lesson. He had faced the grim realisation that the court could take the ultimate sanction.

Mr Bradshaw said Bullock had been driving home from his other job as a doorman when he as caught drink driving.

He did not drink often or excessively and rarely went out. In many ways, the driving while disqualified offence was naive, as the defendant did not appreciate the seriousness of what he had done.

If he was allowed to keep his liberty, it was not the end of it for him as he was still suspended from work.

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