A 26-year-old man from Northampton with an “appalling driving record” has been jailed after racking up 11 convictions for driving while disqualifed.
Mark Rogers, of Homestead Way, Kingsley, has been sentenced to eight months in prison after he breached a driving ban four times in a three-month period.
Northampton Magistrates’ Court heard that Rogers was banned from driving for three years in June 2010, but was identified via CCTV stealing petrol from the BP garage in Harborough Road, Kingsthorpe, on three occasions in December last year.
He also admitted driving while disqualified on March 6 and failing to surrender to police on April 5.
Wendy Westrope, prosecuting, said Rogers stole almost £300 of petrol after he drove off without paying on December 10, 17 and 20.
The court heard that Rogers deliberately used stolen registration plates to avoid being detected.
Ms Westrope said Rogers said he had stolen the fuel to fund a drug habit.
Dan Green, mitigating, said Rogers was a young man with an “appalling record” for driving who knew his record was unacceptable.
Rogers was sentenced to at total of 32 weeks in prison, including 10 weeks for each of the offences of making off without payment and 18 weeks for the driving while disqualified offences. Rogers now has 11 convictions for driving while disqualified.