A serial disqualified driver has been jailed for four months and had an “academic” 13 years added to his lifetime driving ban.
John Dunnigan was caught behind the wheel while disqualified twice in a fortnight, bringing up his tally of ban breaches to 25.
Sheriff Peter Grant Hutchison said he had “no option” but to imprison him after hearing of Dunnigan’s dreadful record.
The 41-year-old was previously jailed in 2015 after driving while disqualified for the 23rd time.
Dunnigan has ‘dreadful record’
The latest breach happened at around 3pm on June 10 this year, when he was caught driving a car, uninsured and minus a licence on Lesmurdie Road and Woodside Terrace in Elgin.
He was then caught uninsured and in charge of another car on Duff Place at around 3pm on June 23 this year.
His defence agent Stephen Carty said his client had such a “dreadful record” that it was little surprise police had chosen to keep an eye on him.
He said Dunnigan had been let down by a friend who was going to drive him to a funeral in Dundee and that’s how he made the “foolhardy” decision to jump behind the wheel on the first occasion.
On the second, Dunnigan claimed he’d been working on the car on private land but it did “stray onto the road”.
Dunnigan, who appeared via video link from HMP Inverness, admitted driving while disqualified and without insurance on June 10 this year and being in charge of an uninsured vehicle almost two weeks later.
Already had lifelong ban
Mr Carty added that Dunnigan was “disqualified for life in any event” and that a custodial sentence was the only appropriate option given his lengthy record.
He added that Dunnigan had gotten into “considerable trouble” when he lived in Tayside and had moved to Moray in the hope of a “fresh start”.
Dunnigan, a prisoner at HMP Inverness but formerly of Jamieson Drive, Elgin, was handed a 13-year driving ban and jailed for four months.
Sheriff Peter Grant Hutchison told him the roads ban was “academic” given he’s already serving a lifelong ban.
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group.
