Banned driver got behind the wheel to fetch girlfriend from birthday bash

Broke order over fears for partner’s safety

A worried boyfriend who broke a driving ban to go to his girlfriend’s rescue has been spared jail.

Thomas Augaitis was banned from the roads for a previous driving offence.

But the 20-year-old, of Church Road, Bridge of Weir, ignored the driving ban to go and pick up his girlfriend from Paisley in November this year.

The details emerged when Augaitis appeared in the dock at Paisley Sheriff Court to be sentenced after pleading guilty to driving while disqualified.

Procurator Fiscal Depute Mark Nicol told the court that Augaitis was banned from driving until January next year – but was caught driving a MercedesBenz by police at around 1am on November 3.

The prosecutor said the vehicle came to the attention of police officers and was stopped in McFarlane Street, Paisley, where checks revealed Augaitis should not have been driving.

Defence Solicitor Advocate Bob Kerr explained: “He has a partner of two years and she was out with friends and he had concerns in relation to that.

“It was a 21st birthday party she was at.

“There were some individuals there he had not wanted her to be in company with and he was concerned for his partner’s wellbeing.

“He received a telephone call and was trying to get back in touch with her.

“He phoned her back and couldn’t get through and took the decision to drive to Paisley.

“It is her car, she had left it at his home – his father’s home.

“His partner and all her friends were in the car when it was stopped.

“He was concerned for her and thought that was the best course of action at the time.

“He got very close to the end of the driving ban he was already on at the time without driving, and would not have been driving that night had it not been for the phone call.”

Sheriff Frances McCartney could have jailed Augaitis for the offence but instead spared him prison, placing him on a Community Payback Order as a direct alternative to a custodial sentence.

She also banned him from driving for eight months, reduced from a year as he admitted his guilt, and told him to carry out 140 hours’ unpaid work in the community, reduced from 210 hours.

As she did so, she said: “You must ensure you don’t come back before the court.”