A Perth man who clocked up more than 25 driving offences in eight years has been jailed.
Kelvin Campbell was caught behind the wheel of his “scheme runaround” Ford Fiesta while disqualified.
The 25-year-old had no insurance and refused to comply with a police breath test.
He was jailed for eight months and banned from driving for seven years when he appeared at Perth Sheriff Court.
Sheriff Gillian Wade pointed out Campbell had amassed more than 25 traffic offences, including several convictions for drink-driving.
She said: “It suggests he does not bother if he gets disqualified or not, he will continue to drive whatever.”
She told Campbell: “Not much can be said on your behalf in relation to these offences.
“You have repeatedly offended in precisely the same way and you have failed to acknowledge your offending behaviour.
“You have not taken the opportunities that have been offered to you.”
The sheriff added: “I see no alternative to a custodial sentence to mark the seriousness of your offending.”
Caught driving a ‘scheme runaround’
Campbell, of Struan Road, was pulled over by traffic police at Jeanfield Road, near the Riggs Road junction, on October 23, last year.
Depute fiscal Bill Kermode told the court: “He was immediately recognised by one of the officers.
“Checks were carried out and it was confirmed that the accused had been disqualified from driving and did not have insurance.”
Campbell was taken to Perth police station, where he refused to comply with a preliminary breath test.
Mr Kermode said the court had ordered the forfeiture of Campbell’s car.
“Inquiries were carried out and it was found that, some three weeks earlier, the car had been sold by its registered keeper to someone she didn’t know for £250.
“It was suspected that the car was being used as – to use the colloquial term – a scheme runaround, with no intention of registering it or getting insurance.”
He said the car had been seized by police and was now waiting to be recycled.
Wrong decision
Defence solicitor David Holmes said: “On this occasion, a friend of Mr Campbell’s was drunk and he was going to use the vehicle.
“Mr Campbell thought it would be a better idea for him, who was not drunk, to drive instead.
“Clearly that was entirely the wrong thing to do and he did not cooperate with police as he should have.”
Mr Holmes accepted his client had a “bad” record.
Banned for under-age driving
In 2013, Campbell appeared in court as a 17-year-old and admitted driving through Scone while under-age.
He pled guilty to a second charge of driving carelessly and without insurance, speeding, losing control of his car and causing it leave the road.
The car overturned onto its roof, near a 60-foot drop, the court heard.
Campbell and his passenger were both “fortunate” to get out unhurt.
At the time, he was banned from driving for two years.
