A Birmingham banker was arrested in a hospital car park while rushing his girlfriend's mother to A&E. Nicholas Wood, 28, made the 'poor decision' to drive despite being banned from the road, with his disqualification due to expire less than two weeks later.
Court hearing
At Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, June 9, Wood pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified. He was fined £738, ordered to pay a £295 victim surcharge, and £85 in prosecution costs. Magistrates told him 'other options' had been available, including calling a taxi.
Incident details
The incident occurred around 11.30pm on May 13. Police suspected a Cupra Formentor was being driven by a banned driver and followed it from Birmingham city centre to an underground car park at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Prosecutor Ruman Dhami said: 'The driver was identified as this defendant. When detained he said his mum was on the way to hospital and was sitting in the rear of the vehicle.' Wood later clarified it was his girlfriend's mother.
Mitigation
Wood's solicitor told the court the woman was 'vulnerable' due to serious health issues and could not breathe, with fears she might die. Wood drove after being told an ambulance would take more than an hour. The court heard Wood worked for Barclays Bank, earning £3,200 a month after tax, but was paying off significant debts. He also received six penalty points on his licence.
