Disqualified driver showed "complete disregard for the law"

8:30am Tuesday 9th September 2008

A man up on his 14th charge of driving while disqualified was reprimanded by magistrates yesterday(Monday) for his "appalling and pathetic" behaviour.

"You are showing a complete disregard for the law," magistrates at Haverfordwest told John William Fitzgerald of 4 Priory Lodge Drive, Milford Haven.

"You are putting your business and yourself in jeopardy. You have got to start helping yourself."

Fitzgerald was stopped last night, September 7th, while driving his partner's blue mini on the Tesco roundabout on Hakin Bridge.

The 39-year-old was brethalysed and found to have 79 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, over twice the legal limit. He was also charged with driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.

Nick Newton, prosecuting, said that this was Fitzgerald's 14th conviction for driving while disqualified and that he was currently on a four month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

James Subbiani, defending, said that Fitzgerald had decided to move his partner's car as he didn't want to leave it where he had been working. He pointed out that his client had co-operated fully with police and entered guilty pleas at the earliest opportunity.

He said that all ten employees of Fitzgerald's roofing company stood to lose thier jobs if their boss was imprisoned.

Magistrates released Fitzgerald on conditional bail pending the publication of a full pre-sentence report.

They warned Fitzgerald that he could face a spell in jail and adjourned sentencing until September 26th.