Leeds man caught driving three times while banned is jailed

Leeds Crown Court heard 31-year-old Luke Thompson of Cranbrook View, Pudsey, was banned from driving by magistrates at Leeds in July 2018.

Prosecutor, Susan Evans said police stopped Thompson driving a VW van on Old Lane at Beeston on August 29 2018.

On December 17 2019, police stopped Thompson when he was driving another vehicle on the A19 near Middlesbrough.

The court heard Thompson gave someone else's name and date of birth to police on that occasion.

Officers found a small amount of cocaine on the driver's seat and he tested positive for cocaine and cannabis at the roadside.

Miss Evans said Thompson refused to give a blood sample at the police station.

The court heard Thompson, who has a number of tattoos, told police he was scared of needles.

Miss Evans said on March 23 this year, Thompson was seen stealing a Stihl saw worth around £600 from the back of a flatbed truck on Bradford Road at Pudsey.

Thompson was arrested after being caught driving a Ford Focus on Richardshaw Lane at Pudsey on April 16.

He had been handed a 14-month jail sentence suspended for two years in August 2018 after being convicted of assault causing harm, criminal damage and possessing a bladed article.

Thompson admitted three charges of driving while disqualified and three charges of driving without insurance.

He also admitted possessing cocaine and obstructing a constable in connection with giving a false name in December 2019.

And he pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen and committing an offence during a suspended sentence order.

Thompson also admitted theft of the Stihil saw.

The court heard he has 24 previous convictions for 64 offences, including burglary, theft and taking a vehicle without the owner's consent, driving while disqualified and drink driving.

James Littlehales, mitigating, said: His offending has substantially reduced in terms of seriousness. He has remained out of prison for the last seven or eight years."

Judge Christopher Batty handed Thompson a 15- month prison sentence and banned him from driving for three-years-and-eight months.