South Shields man shouted at magistrates who spared him jail after being caught driving VW Golf while banned

Repeat offender Raymond Yhia, 37, of Stanhope Road, South Shields, escaped a spell behind bars, but voiced his disapproval when sentenced.

After shouting, he stormed from the South Tyneside court room, before returning but being ushered out by his solicitor.

The court heard the car valet worker had been banned by magistrates in Gateshead under the totting up procedure.

But weeks later, on Tuesday, November 10, he was caught driving a VW Golf in Stanhope Road while disqualified and without insurance.

As well as pleading guilty to those offences, Yhia also admitted driving a Renault Clio in nearby Olive Street, without insurance on Sunday, May 24.

Moments before his outburst, the dad had been given an eight-week jail sentence, which magistrates suspended for 18 months.

Prosecutor Gurjot Kaur told the court: “On May 24 officers were on duty in a marked police vehicle at 10pm when they stopped a vehicle in Olive Street.

“He said that he had just bought the vehicle from the Stanley area and didn’t have insurance.

“On November 10, officers were on duty in the South Shields area at 6.10pm when they had cause to stop a black VW Golf.

“The driver said that he just bought the car two days earlier and didn’t have insurance.

“Checks showed the defendant had been disqualified from driving for six months by magistrates in Gateshead.

“It’s high culpability because the vehicle was bought shortly after his disqualification began.”

Ms Kaur said Yhia had 24 previous convictions from 44 offences, including numerous for motoring.

David Forrester, defending, said: “He made the decision to drive. He expresses his remorse and knows that what he did was wrong.”

Yhia was given six penalty points for driving while banned and the same for driving without insurance on May 24.

It saw him banned from driving for 12 months under the totting up system.

There was no separate penalty for the second no insurance charge, but he must carry out 25 days of rehabilitation work with the Probation Service.

He must also pay a £128 victim surcharge and £100 court costs.

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