FELIXSTOWE: A father-of-two caught driving in the town while he was the subject of a two-year road ban is today starting a six-month jail term.

Sentencing Richard Fairweather, 29, of Valley Walk, Felixstowe, Judge Rupert Overbury described his behaviour as a “complete and flagrant disregard” of a court order.

Fairweather, who has five-year-old twins, was given a four-month suspended prison sentence, banned from driving for two years and ordered to do 50 hours’ unpaid work in the community by magistrates last year for dangerous driving in 2009.

Robert Sadd, prosecuting, said on that occasion Fairweather had been seen driving at speed on roads with a 40mph limit in Felixstowe, undertaking vehicles and going through two red traffic lights before crashing into an HGV trailer.

On April 8 this year, he was arrested after he was spotted driving in Felixstowe by a policeman who knew he was banned, said Mr Sadd.

Fairweather was subsequently committed to the crown court for sentence for driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and breaching a suspended sentence order.

Judge Overbury activated two months of the suspended prison sentence, with four months to run consecutively for driving while disqualified.

He banned Fairweather from driving for three years.

Craig Marchant, for Fairweather, said his client had five-year-old twins who were born prematurely and had special educational needs.

He said Fairweather and his wife were both full-time carers for the children and said the children would find it hard to understand if their father was sent to prison and wasn’t at home.

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