A 32-year-old man who was convicted of drink-driving in Norfolk at the beginning of the month, has been jailed after being caught driving whilst disqualified in Beccles just eight days later.

Matthew Morley, of Blenheim Way in Thetford, appeared at Ipswich Magistrates’ Court on Monday 11 December, where he was sentenced to 26 weeks’ imprisonment and disqualified from driving for 60 months. He was also ordered to pay £299 in costs and other charges.

Morley had pleaded guilty to three offences as follows: driving whilst disqualified; driving without insurance; and possession of a Class B drug (cannabis).

The latest incidents occurred on Sunday 10 December when at just before 8.40am, officers from the Joint Norfolk & Suffolk Roads & Armed Policing Team on patrol in Beccles town centre encountered a Vauxhall Astra that appeared to be driving too fast and erratically.

The officers followed the vehicle and checks revealed it was uninsured. The Astra then came to a stop and parked up in New Market. The officers stopped to speak to the driver, who had himself just exited his vehicle and was walking away.

At this point Morley began to run and a foot chase ensued, resulting in him being detained a short time afterwards. Morley then failed a roadside drug wipe and was found to be disqualified from driving.

Cannabis was recovered from within Morley’s vehicle and an open beer can found in the footwell.

He was arrested and taken to Martlesham Police Investigation Centre where a sample of blood was taken for analysis in respect of the failed drug wipe. He remains under investigation for this offence pending the outcome of the blood test results.

Morley was already subject to a driving ban when he was caught drink-driving in Cringleford in Norfolk on Saturday 2 December, where police were called at 2am to reports of a two-vehicle collision on the A11.

Morley failed to stop following this collision but was located by officers around 15 minutes later in Colney Lane, where he had parked up, turned his lights off and was attempting to hide in his vehicle.

On that occasion he failed a roadside breath test and a quantity of cannabis was found inside his vehicle. He was taken to Wymondham Police Investigation Centre, where he was subsequently charged with a number of offences and remanded for court.

He appeared at Norwich Magistrates’ Court on Monday 4 December, where he pleaded guilty to the following six offences: driving with excess alcohol (providing a sample of 62mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath – almost twice the legal limit); driving whilst disqualified; driving without due care and attention; driving without insurance; failing to stop after an accident; and possession of a Class B drug (cannabis).

Sentencing was adjourned until 9 February and an interim driving disqualification was imposed in addition to the ban he was already subject to, but he was also sentenced for these matters on Monday 11 December.

He was jailed for 18 weeks for driving whilst disqualified and three weeks concurrent for the possession of drugs on 10 December. He was then handed a 60-month driving ban and given a concurrent sentence of four weeks’ imprisonment for the drink-driving on 2 December.

He was also sentenced to eight weeks’ imprisonment to be served consecutively after a Community Order he had been made subject to earlier in the year was revoked, in respect of assault and criminal damage offences. This brought his total prison sentence to 26 weeks.

Chief Inspector Vicky McParland, Head of the Joint Norfolk & Suffolk Roads & Armed Policing Team (RAPT), said: “There is absolutely no excuse for this behaviour and it beggars belief that he can show such utter disregard for the safety of other road users and the law.

“Matthew Morley is a persistent offender, who was already subject to a driving ban and was awaiting sentence for previous offences. He demonstrated complete contempt and disregard for the legal process and left the court no option but to send him to prison.

“I hope the sentencing demonstrates the seriousness of driving under the influence and driving whilst disqualified.

The stop in Beccles was an excellent piece of proactive police work by our RAPT officers. We are now half-way through the Christmas drink and drug-driving campaign and we will continue to prosecute those motorists who are prepared to risk people’s lives, or who think it is acceptable to drive whilst they are banned from doing so, thereby making them uninsured to drive.”

https://www.suffolk.police.uk/news/suffolk/news/news/2023/december/beccles--convicted-drink-driver-jailed-after-being-caught-behind-the-wheel-again/

On 18/12/2023 01:25 pm, Simon Mason wrote:

> A 32-year-old man who was convicted of drink-driving in Norfolk at the beginning of the month, has been jailed after being caught driving whilst disqualified in Beccles just eight days later.

So he was just a chav-cyclist, totally unqualified for anything better.

[snip]

QUOTE: Morley had pleaded guilty to three offences as follows: driving whilst disqualified; driving without insurance; and possession of a Class B drug (cannabis). ENDS

Only speeding missing from the "fatal four" - must try harder.