'You think you can do as you please' – sheriff tells disqualified driver before jailing him
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A five-times disqualified driver has been jailed for six months by a sheriff who said the accused seemed to think he could "please himself".
Raymond Daulby was previously remanded after he pleaded guilty last month and admitted a record. He re-appeared at Wick Sheriff Court on Thursday via a video link from prison.
The 48-year-old mechanic was called out to fix a bus that had broken down in Scrabster, on April 7.
He was spotted by police who discovered that he was a banned driver and consequently didn't have any insurance cover.
Daulby, of Park Avenue, Thurso, was said to have responded to the call-out from his base in Lovers' Lane, Thurso, "without having any regard to the consequences".
Solicitor Natalie Paterson said that Daulby had no wish to return to his abuse of drugs and alcohol and that there were some positives in a background report called for previously. She appealed to Sheriff Andrew Berry to consider a community-based sentence.
However, Sheriff Berry noted that Daulby had minimised his actions and had regarded his record as "no longer relevant" as he wanted to move on.
The sheriff took exception to that and told the accused: "Let me point out some of your recent convictions."
These included driving with excess alcohol at the beginning of this year and driving while disqualified, which didn't attract a custodial sentence.
Sheriff Berry told Daulby: "Your position is that you had to drive that day. It seems remarkable that you didn't tell your employers that you were disqualified. You had taken heroin that day and it is clear you think you can do as you please."
In addition to the jail sentence imposed – which is backdated to October 1 when he was arrested – Daulby was banned from driving for a year and will then require to sit and pass an extended driving test. He was admonished on the insurance charge.
However, Daulby is due to stand trial on December 14, on charges alleging he was concerned in the supply of the Class A drug diamorphine and being in possession of cannabis.
The offences are said to have occurred at his home on December 14, last year.
