Motorist who had never passed test given "last chance" to avoid jail

Thursday 11 January 2024

A motorist who owned two cars yet had never passed his test - and had a string of motoring offences - has avoided prison "by a hair's breadth".

Jose Leonardo Santos Coelho was instead sentenced to 180 hours of community service and put on probation for a year – but he was warned: “This is your last chance.”

Advocate Luke Sette, prosecuting, told the Royal Court that the 20-year-old driver was caught on 10 May driving his blue Volkswagen Golf without a licence or insurance – and having been banned from the roads. The police also found that Coelho had a small quantity of cannabis resin with them.

And the incident took place only two days before Coelho was due to appear in the Magistrate’s Court to be sentenced for four previous counts of driving without insurance and two of driving without a licence.

At that appearance, he was sentenced to 150 hours of community service and nine months of probation and fined £2,200.

Pictured: The case was heard in the Royal Court.

He was also banned from driving, but Advocate Sette that on 24 August he had flouted the ban by driving an uninsured grey Mini.

The court heard that Coelho had paid £700 of the fine imposed in May but had only completed 35 hours of his 150-hour community service order.

He had missed three sessions and was suspended from the programme after shouting abuse at one of the supervisors.

Advocate Sette said: “Community service is unsuitable for him unless there is a shift in his attitude. He has shown a complete disregard for road traffic laws. He appears to be of the view that they don’t apply to him.”

He said Coelho had “a history of failing to respond to non-custodial penalties” so recommended seven months in youth custody.

But Advocate Mike Preston, defending, argued: “A community service order combined with a probation order is the most appropriate way of dealing with him today.”

He accepted that Coelho had been abusive towards the community service supervisor but stated: “He is a nice young man, a bright and articulate young man.”

He added that Coelho had apologised to the supervisor and had pleaded guilty to the offences, and was 19 at the time of them.

He also said that no-one had been injured by his driving. “The only person he has harmed is himself,” he said.

“He is not a lost cause. He can mend his ways and become a useful member of society.”

Deputy Bailiff Robert MacRae told Coelho he was being given a “last chance” to comply with a community service order.

He said: “You have escaped custody by a hair’s breadth. If you fail to complete the period of community service you will come back to court and you will almost certainly be sent to La Moye.”

As well as the community service order and probation order he was told to pay the remainder of his fine at the rate of £200 per month. There was no separate penalty for the possession of cannabis.

The Jurats sitting were Robert Christensen and Mike Berry.