A Gore man has been sentenced to home detention after his 15th conviction for suspended driving.
Allan Otto Bell, 39, appeared in the Gore District Court last week after pleading guilty to aggravated suspended driving.
The court heard he had 22 years of criminal history, which included 26 driving-related offences.
"Over the last 22 years you have consistently driven when you have been ordered or directed not to do so", Judge Catriona Doyle said.
Bell was serving a sentence of supervision when he committed his most recent driving crime on November 14.
He was suspended due to an excess of demerits.
"You should have known much better than to drive", Judge Doyle said.
She accepted Bell was remorseful and no longer had a vehicle.
"It is appropriate to give you one more chance", she said.
The judge sentenced Bell to four and a-half months’ home detention and disqualified him for 18 months.
felicity.dear@odt.co.nz , PIJF court reporter
