A MAN who drove in St Asaph and Rhyl without a licence has failed in his attempt to have his driving ban overturned.
Daniel Meah, 32, of West Street, Crewe, was convicted of both offences at Llandudno Magistrates’ Court on November 28, 2023, resulting in him receiving a ban from the roads.
At Mold Crown Court today (February 23), his appeal against his disqualification was dismissed.
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Prosecuting, Brett Williamson told the court that on October 11, 2022, officers received a report of a motorcyclist experiencing a seizure on Marsh Road, Rhyl.
A police constable who attended found that Meah, who gave his occupation as a delivery driver, had an invalid compulsory basic training licence required to ride motorbikes.
Meah pleaded guilty to this offence at Llandudno Magistrates’ Court, as he did to driving without a licence on The Roe, St Asaph on October 19, 2022.
His driving licence had been revoked on medical grounds, the court heard.
For each of these offences, he received three penalty points on his licence, having previously been handed six for two other instances of driving without a licence.
This meant he then had 12 penalty points, which automatically disqualifies a motorist from driving for six months.
Representing himself, Meah said he suffers from health and mobility issues, as well as anxiety, and that not being unable to drive is causing him difficulty in attending hospital appointments in Liverpool.
He added that a driving ban makes it harder for him to go to shops to purchase essentials, including medication.
“For over a year, you’ve been managing to get on with it?”, Mr Williamson asked him.
Meah replied: “I haven’t, no. I’ve had to cancel several appointments because of (the difficulty in) getting there and back. I can’t afford £120 in taxis every time.”
Judge Timothy Petts, presiding over the hearing, upheld Meah’s driving ban, saying that it is causing him “hardship, but not exceptional hardship”.
He told him: “You’ve been unable to drive for some time anyway because of the revoking of your licence on medical grounds, and you’ve coped, albeit with difficulty.”
Meah was also ordered to pay £100 towards prosecution costs.
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