A SPEEDING infringement marginally above the designated limit has landed a repeat motoring offender behind bars for Christmas.

Banned driver, Scott Hugh Thompson, was at the wheel of a Land Rover clocked by police travelling at 57mph on a 50mph-limit stretch of the A167, from Hermitage to Plawsworth roundabouts, between Durham and Chester-le-Street, on June 16.

Durham Crown Court heard he was on police bail at the time for other motoring offences, committed in the Northumbria force area just a week earlier.

Thompson, 28, was given a suspended prison sentence with probation supervision for those other offences, at Newcastle Crown Court, on November 21.

But, six days later (NOV 27), he was sentenced to 18-weeks in prison and given a further three-year driving ban by North Durham magistrates at Consett, for the June 16 offences.

Thompson, of Medway Crescent, Deckham, Gateshead, admitted exceeding the speed limit, plus driving while disqualified and without insurance.

He appealed against the sentence at the crown court yesterday (MON DEC 10) on the basis that the probation supervision for the June 9 offences had not had chance to take effect, having only been passed six days before the prison sentence was imposed by the magistrates at Consett.

Judge Christopher Prince, sitting with two magistrates, dismissed the appeal within minutes, saying the prison sentence was intended to have a “deterrent effect”, given Thompson's record of eight previous convictions for driving while disqualified.

“You would rather spend Christmas with your friends and family, but you thoroughly deserve to be punished.

“If you don’t like being in custody, don’t drive,” added the judge.