Hamilton Man jailed for driving while disqualified for the 14th time

Apr 30 2008 By our court reporter

A HAMILTON man has been jailed for driving while disqualified for the 14th time.

David Allison (33), of Forth Terrace, admitted driving in the town’s Burnbank Road, Pollock Avenue, Argyle Drive and George’s Close while subject to a life ban.

He also admitted a charge of driving without insurance and charges of possessing valium and possessing the drug with intent to supply.

Hamilton Sheriff Court heard how Allison was searched on January 23 at Hamilton Police Office.

A bag containing valium tablets was found in his jacket pocket.

More tablets were found in his underwear.

Sheriff Danny Scullion jailed Allison for 10 months on the driving while disqualified and drugs offences. However, Allison’s not guilty pleas to charges of possessing heroin, possessing the class-A drug with intent to supply, and possessing more valium tablets at his house on January 23 were accepted by the procurator fiscal.

The 33-year-old has been in and out of jail for a variety of offences since 1994.

Previous convictions include culpable homicide.

Allison was disqualified from driving for the first time in August 1994 when he was given a one-year ban at Hamilton Sheriff Court.

He has already spent time in prison for driving while disqualified but has repeatedly ignored the courts.

Allison’s criminal record was so extensive that Sheriff Scullion observed: “There is not enough paper to print off the list of previous convictions”.

Allison’s solicitor told Sheriff Scullion how the 33-year-old had been a regular client of his firm over the years.

But he said Allison had got his life back on track since his last conviction in February 2006, when Allison was banned from driving for life.

The solicitor also presented a letter to the court from Allison’s employer, Coatbridge firm A-Z Security Services, to support his case.

He had worked for the firm for the past 16 months.