I'm glad to see our courts taking this sort of thing seriously

If only rugby were a team game.

Indeed, at least 12, possibly 14 mates to give him a lift?

Given hhis attitude to how he drove, you have to ask whether a life driving ban would be appropriate.

Given his attitude, you have to ask whether any ban will make the slightest difference to his actually being out on the roads behind the wheel of a car...

Because chokey is full, or it's set aside for what they might consider more serious crimes like rape, murder etc.

A suspended sentence is still a custodial sentence, there will be conditions, he'll have to avoid any further offences for two years, but theyll have taken his age and chance of rehab as part of it.

I get that of course, but his reported behaviour is every bit as dangerous as someone randomly letting fly with a firearm in a public place for a laugh (and an unlicenced one at that, given that this driver was unlicenced), if someone did that it'd be prison for sure and a lifetime ban from owning a firearm thereafter. It's just maddening how the law is capable of seeing how a firearm kept for sporting purposes, or even a humble kitchen knife, can become a dangerous and deadly weapon when misused but is somehow unwilling to apply the same standards to the misuse of motor vehicles.

As pointed out - no licence, treating police pursuit as part of the game (Smokey and The Bandit here).  How's he not going to be driving (dangerously) again soon, you have to wonder?  It's not likely any licenced friends of his will have done their Advanced Driver.  Given how common speeding is they won't be "previously law abiding" motorists either.  As discussed recently, where's the social stigma from the wider community?  It really, really isn't seen like driving drunk (which is still with us too).

I'm also not sure how locking him up will effect any change.  However I guess he'd be about four months older when he got out - time is probably our best hope.  And we'd all have 4 months' respite.

The other issue is - once (sorry, if) he starts driving again in the next 3 years what are the odds of him getting spotted?  What would be the sanction if he was?  As you say the prisons are full and the probation service is not over-resourced either...

Ah, but the lawbreakers aren't wasting police time by sitting there and making the police physically move them.  They are running away by themselves - or simply not attracting the attention of the police!  I'm sure wtjs could remind us on how little work they cause for the Lancs coppers...

Also - protesters often challenge the status quo.  Criminals are normally quite happy with it - it's easier to commit crimes against the more law-abiding.  And e.g. smuggling rather *requires* laws you can break to make money...

(I feel we're significantly different from the likes of Russia or China here but some of the recent lawmaking e.g. formally legalising police lawbreaking and this takes a step down a similar path.)

I'm sure wtjs could remind us on how little work they cause for the Lancs coppers...

Yes, Lancashire Constabulary is completely consistent- whatever traffic offence it is, they're much too busy to waste time on it or on watching videos sent in the OpSnapLancs- which is a way of diverting complaints economically direct to the bin, without wasting time responding to them