A SUFFOLK lorry driver who put other road users lives at risk by spending too many hours on the road escaped a jail sentence yesterday.Christopher Brewer was told by a judge to "think himself lucky" that he wasn't going to prison.

A SUFFOLK lorry driver who put other road users lives at risk by spending too many hours on the road has escaped a jail sentence.

Christopher Brewer was told by a judge to "think himself lucky" that he wasn't going to prison.

Judge Peter Thompson told Brewer – who on one occasion worked twenty one and a half hours in one day – "you don't need me to remind you that the public are at risk of terrible accidents when drivers are overworked and over tired."

Judge Thompson paid tribute to the hard work of police officers in bringing the case to court.

Brewer, 52, of Jasmine Close, Trimley St Martin, pleaded guilty at Ipswich Crown Court to 12 tachograph offences over a three-month period. He was fined £600 and ordered to pay £750 prosecution costs.

John Dodd, prosecuting, said the offences came to light when police officers investigated the affairs of a man who had been employing Brewer.

Weekly running sheets showed that Brewer had been working up to twenty one and a half hours a day although his tachograph records showed he had not been working as many hours.

David Bentley, for Brewer, said the offences committed by his client were not flagrant examples of tachograph misuse.

He said Brewer had not been motivated by greed as he had earned a relatively modest income.

He said that pressure was sometimes put on drivers to work longer hours but he accepted that this was not an excuse for what Brewer had done.

He said his client was not working at present because of ill health.