A compulsive Dundee motorist who has been banned from the road 24 times has been advised by a sheriff to imagine car steering wheels are snakes.
Sheriff George Way offered the bizarre advice to Alan Scott after imposing yet another life ban upon him.
Scott already has six life bans and a further 85 years worth of disqualifications on his record.
At Dundee Sheriff Court, Sheriff Way said: “I will impose a concurrent disqualification for life.
“Can I just remind you what will happen to you if you get behind the wheel again?
“Do it again and you know the consequences.
“I am not threatening you, I just want you to understand you are making progress but you need to keep that up.
“I know that the temptation is there for you to get behind the wheel.
“You have to consider the steering wheel of the car to be like a snake or something like that.
“A disqualification for life doesn’t mean that.
“There are processes by which your driving licence can be restored but you must use them before you get behind the wheel.”
Similar warning already issued
Sheriff Way had told Scott “life does not necessarily mean life” when he sentenced Scott to his sixth life ban recently.
He told the 38-year-old “It has to stop.
“You have to understand that the problem you have has to be addressed.
“He has some form of uncontrolled impulses to get behind the wheel of a car when he knows he has been banned.
“Being banned for life isn’t the end of all things for you.
“There are provisions for showing you are reformed and getting your licence back.
“Whether he thinks he will never get to drive again – that is not necessarily so but this can’t go on.
“If part of the problem is that you have been banned for life… that doesn’t mean what it says.
“After a period of time you could apply to the court to seek restoration of your driving licence.
“Part of the problem is that you hear you are banned for life and then make the stupid and impulsive decision to drive again.
“The only way to get your licence back is to control that situation.
“I’m not saying you would get your licence back, but if you keep offending it becomes impossible.
“You have got to comply with the existing court order for years, not months but it is the only chance you have got to get your licence back.”
Repeat driving offences
In the two recent cases, Scott, of St Fillans Place, admitted driving while banned in the city on November 8 last year.
He also admitted having no insurance and giving a false name to police.
He was granted bail on November 9 but admitted driving while disqualified and without insurance in the city again just six days later.
Sheriff Way banned him for life and placed him under social work supervision for 18 months.
A parallel 12-month supervision order was imposed this week.
Scott was first banned from driving for nine months in April 2003 and since then has racked up a total of 22 separate bans prior to the latest two cases.
Scott, who most recently worked for Amazon over the festive period, has been convicted six times of dangerous driving.
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