Card Pulling Driver (14 times) Escapes Prison

This driver, represented at the Crown Court by Barrister Harry Bowyer, was committed for sentence on 14 charges of “pulling his card.” Drivers in this position are at real risk of immediate prison sentences. In the leading case of R v Saunders; R v Hockings; R v Williams [2001] EWCA Crim 93 (Much beloved by DVSA prosecutors) immediate sentences of imprisonment were upheld on drivers who faced 11, 10 and six charges respectively.

In this case we were able to distinguish the behaviour of this driver from those in Saunders and to present some extremely powerful personal mitigation. Having had the prosecution case put in context through a careful exposition of the EU Drivers’ Hours regime the Judge was persuaded to suspend the inevitable custodial sentence.