Suspended prison sentence for disqualified driver

A disqualified Gosberton Risegate driver who drove into a neighbour’s gate pillar has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Darren John Goodwin (50) of Sheppersons Avenue, Gosberton Risegate, who was already on a suspended prison sentence, admitted failing to provide a breath specimen for analysis and for driving while disqualified in the incident outside his home on March 26.

At Boston Magistrate’s Court, prosecuting, Jim Clare said that at 6pm, Goodwin was seen getting into the driver’s seat of his BMW and then reversing back and forward before reversing “at some speed” and hitting the gate pillar of a neighbour’s houses.

The court heard that after the owner of the house came out to see what had happened, the man, who was described as being “wobbling” and “trying to balance himself” said: “Just remember you have to live next door to me,” before police arrived.

He said that when the neighbour spoke to him, Goodwin was “clearly under the influence of alcohol” and when police arrived, he was arrested.

Mr Clare said that at Boston Police Station, Goodwin refused to give a sample of breath for analysis.

He told the magistrates that Goodwin was subject to a suspended prison sentence of six months for two years, imposed at Bournemouth in October 2016 for two offences of harassment.

Mitigating Tony Davies said Goodwin had “only driven a very small distance” and that there had been “no protracted period of driving”.

He added that the suspended prison sentence was for “unrelated offences”.

Goodwin was sentenced to an eight-week prison sentence suspended for a year and was ordered to carryout 15 days of rehabilitation.

He was also banned from driving for three years and ordered to pay £200 in costs and charges.