"Appalling driving" sees uninsured motorist jailed
An uninsured driver who caused a collision on the Lincoln bypass was on Friday jailed for 15 months and banned from driving for three years.
Shaun Tucker's driving as he headed south towards Newark was so bad that two other motorists pulled over because they were so fearful of what was likely to happen, Lincoln Crown Court heard
Tucker, 41, of Parkinson Court, Yorke Drive, Newark, repeatedly swerved over the centre white line on the single carriageway stretch of road and tailgated other vehicles.
Simon Rowe, prosecuting, said "Other drivers were sounding their horns and taking evasive action to avoid colliding with the defendant's car. It was described as bullying attempts to overtake."
Tucker, who was travelling between the Skellingthorpe Road and Doddington Road roundabouts, then pulled over the white line again and collided with an oncoming BMW driven by Nigel Franklin.
The impact of the collision ripped off a wing mirror from the BMW which flew through the open driver's window striking Mr Franklin in the face.
Both Mr Franklin and his 16-month-old son escaped injury but his car was badly damaged with repairs costing £7,000.
Tucker continued driving after the collision but came to a halt 100 metres later as a result of a tyre being blown.
He was detained by passing police officers.
He admitted driving while disqualified and having no insurance on June 4 2010.
The court was told his driving record includes ten convictions for driving without insurance, seven for driving while disqualified and two for driving with excess alcohol.
Recorder Timothy Spencer QC told him "This was an appalling piece of driving. It is only a matter of luck that the consequences of this were not worse. People could have been killed.
"You give me no alternative other than to impose a sentence of immediate imprisonment."
Andrew Bailey, defending, said Tucker should be given credit for pleading guilty at an early stage.
"He fully accepts his guilt. It was four or five minutes of bad driving and is his first offence of dangerous driving," he said.
"He genuinely wants to live a law-abiding lifestyle."
