A YOUNG man from Cornwall has narrowly avoided jail after he appeared in front of magistrates for driving whilst disqualified while on a suspended sentence for the same offence.

Joshua Church, 22, of New Molinis, in Bugle, appeared in front of magistrates at Truro Magistrates' Court on Thursday May 12 on one count of driving whilst disqualified, one count of using a motor vehicle on a road / public place without third party insurance, and one count of commissioning of a further offence during the operational period of a suspended sentence order.

The offences took place on Penryn Street in Redruth on Saturday, October 23, 2021 where Church was found to have been driving a car whilst disqualified and without third party insurance.

The offence also took place during the operational period of a previous suspended sentence order that Church had received less than a month earlier for driving whilst disqualified.

Church pleaded guilty to both charges.

During his sentencing, Church was committed to prison for 16 weeks concurrent, suspended for 12 months, after the court heard how it would have been unjust to activate the defendant's previous suspended sentence as it would have been unjust to activate SSO as rehabilitative elements of order had not had time to take effect.

During the 12 month suspended sentence period, Church will need to comply with a programme requirement for 19 days as well as take part in a rehabilitation activity for four days.

He will also need to comply with a curfew and electronic monitoring for three months as well as carry out 300 hours unpaid within the next 12 months.

Church was disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence for three years and his driving record was endorsed.

He will also need to pay a surcharge to fund victim services of £128 and pay costs of £85 to the Crown Prosecution Service.

The court noted how Church's guilty pleas had been taken into account when imposing the sentence.