Taxi Driver Online

Aberdeen Evening Express

August 2, 2006 Wednesday

HEADLINE: Sheriff blasts limit on jail for banned drivers

BYLINE: Alison Shaw

A City sheriff this afternoon blasted the government for its "ridiculous" sentencing policy.

Sheriff Douglas Cusine was dealing with the case of a serial disqualified driver who could only be jailed for a maximum of one year. And because Alan Fullerton had pled guilty at the earliest opportunity he was entitled to a discount.

He was also expected to serve only half his sentence, which would cut his time behind bars to just four months. Fullerton, 44, who was driving a taxi when he was caught, had previously been banned for life.

Today his solicitor, Mike Monro, said even if Fullerton went on to commit his 50th driving-while-banned offence he would still only get 12 months in prison.

Mr Monro described the situation as "rather bizarre".

Sheriff Cusine said: "It's a ridiculous situation that the maximum sentence for driving while disqualified is 12 months.

"Parliament obviously does not care whether people drive around disqualified or not." He had planned to sentence Fullerton to community service after going along with Mr Monro's suggestion that it would be more severe than four months in jail.

He indicated he would put Fullerton, of 15 Brankie Place, Inverurie, off the road for seven years but he needs a report to impose community service and sentence was deferred until the end of the month. Fullerton admitted driving while banned and using a car without insurance on June 1 on the B999 Whitecairns to Pitmedden Road.
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