South Tyneside window cleaner with nine children to feed caught driving without licence or insurance
He was struggling for cash due to business pressures and has nine children to feed, his solicitor revealed.
A South Tyneside window cleaner left high and dry when stuck without a driver for work was caught at the wheel without a licence or insurance.
Neil Farmer, 47, of Wilberforce Street, Jarrow, took to the roads in a bid to get his round got done on time on Thursday, September 3, a court heard.
He was struggling for cash due to business pressures and has nine children to feed, his defence solicitor said.
But he was spotted by police as he drove in South Frederick Street, near Tyne Dock, and pulled over, prosecutor Emily Hunt revealed.
Checks showed he only had an expired provisional licence and was not insured – and a search of the motor revealed a small amount of cannabis.
Ms Hunt told South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court: “Officers have sighted the defendant’s vehicle and caused it to stop.
“Checks conducted confirmed he held an expired provisional licence and did not have insurance.
“The vehicle was also searched, and a small quantity of cannabis was found in there.
“He has 18 previous convictions from 29 offences, the last being in 2012 for driving related offences. It’s a ban of six months or eight penalty points.”
Farmer pleaded guilty to charges of driving without insurance, driving without a licence and possession of a class B prohibited drug.
Heather Bolton, defending, said he bitterly regretted his decision to drive, telling magistrates: “He does have a cleaning company.
“He normally has a driver who assists, he says he normally employs someone to do the driving.
“He was under significant pressure as the business was not doing very well. Because he was under pressure of losing customers, he drove.
“He had business expenses to pay. He is now questioning if the business is sustainable.
“I would ask you to impose six points as a minimum because he has applied for his provisional licence and is going through the right channels.”
For driving without insurance, magistrates handed Farmer eight penalty points and fined him £140, with £85 court costs and a £56 victim surcharge.
There was no separate penalty on the other charges, but they ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs.