Uninsured, unlicensed and a thief

A 45-year-old man has been banned from driving for 18 months, fined and ordered to carry out unpaid work following a series of offences.

Paul James Thorogood, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to making off without payment, failing to provide a breath specimen, three counts of assaulting a police officer, three counts of driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence and three counts of driving without insurance when he appeared on Wednesday, March 15 at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court.

On September 20 last year he drove a Vauxhall Astra in Moatfield Meadow, Ashford, without a licence and no insurance. On September 25, he drove a Vauxhall Astra in Rolvenden Road, Tenterden, again without a licence and no insurance and he also made off without paying for petrol worth £50.01 from a service station in Rolvenden Road.

On January 27 this year he drove a Ford Focus in Ashford Road, Ashford, without a licence and no insurance. He also failed to provide a specimen of breath for analysis and assaulted three police officers.

Magistrates ordered Thorogood to do 300 hours of unpaid work in the next year, banned him from driving for 18 months and ordered him to pay £415 compensation, £85 costs and a £85 victim surcharge.