Newly disqualified driver given second ban after driving home from court

A newly disqualified driver was banned a second time after he drove home from a court hearing when he was disqualified from driving.

Can Koroglu of Copthall Green, Waltham Abbey, appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 13 June where he was disqualified from driving for six months.

The 34-year-old had been found guilty of no insurance and under the “totting up” rule, he was immediately disqualified from driving.

Koroglu then got into his car and drove away from the hearing.

Officers were alerted to this fact and Roads Policing officers deployed to the area. Koroglu was stopped just short of his home address by Epping Forrest Town Centre Team officers, within an hour of the sentence being passed.

He was remanded in custody to appear at the same court the following day, Friday 14 June, where he faced a charge of driving whilst disqualified.

The court handed down a 10-week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months and issued a new 18 month driving ban, three times longer than the original ban along with over £200 fines and costs.

Mr Adam Pipe, Head of Essex Roads Policing, said:
Unfortunately, this is quite a regular occurrence. Despite the fact that drivers facing a potential ban are clearly warned in advance that any ban takes immediate effect, many still attend the hearing having driven there. And some also take the chance of driving home.
This case shows how Essex Police teams successfully work together to ensure road safety across the county.

We continue to work with partners to ensure our roads are safe for everyone, to detect and prevent crime and collisions and bring offenders before the courts.

Help us reduce road collisions and casualties in Essex and make our roads even safer. Report instances of poor and dangerous driving through Safer Essex Roads Partnership's Extra Eyes initiative.

More than ever, irresponsible, dangerous and illegal road behaviour is being recorded by road users. Through Extra Eyes this footage can be sent to, and reviewed by, an investigator within Road Policing at Essex Police.

Find out how by visiting Safer Essex Roads Partnership website.