I’ll put this here as well
It may again produce more comments than on the news forum.
A BUS driver who failed to tell his employers he had been banned from driving and continued to ferry passengers around the Welsh capital was jailed yesterday.
Arthur Evans was disqualified for 12 months last December for driving with excess alcohol, Cardiff Magistrates Court was told.
But the 51-year-old drove buses for Cardiff Bus about 50 times after the ban until he was spotted by police in February.
Prosecutor Richard Paull said, “Mr Evans has driven buses along well-known bus routes, conveying passengers to and from various points.”
Evans did not tell his employers of his ban because he could not afford to lose his job in the run-up to Christmas, said Mr Paull.
The father of four, of Washford Avenue, Llanrumney, Cardiff, admitted three charges of driving while disqualified and three charges of driving without insurance.
The offences, which took place on December 16 last year, January 5 and February 11 this year, were specimen charges indicating a course of conduct, the court heard.
Evans was jailed for four months for driving while disqualified, with no separate penalty for the insurance offences.
He was also banned from driving for 12 months from yesterday.
The police officer who spotted Evans behind the wheel went to see his supervisor at Cardiff Bus, the court was told. When Evans arrived at the depot he was arrested and dismissed from his job.
In mitigation, David Mason said it was not bravado that led Evans to continue to drive buses, but the fact he carried his family’s financial burden.
“As he has said, it is very hard to tell your children and your wife that you cannot provide them with a Christmas, especially when he cares about them as he does,” said Mr Mason.
“On this occasion his thinking was somewhat clouded by the fact that he had family responsibilities and he is sorry he took the actions that he did.”