Gloucestershire police officer jailed for driving while disqualified

A police officer who drove force vehicles while disqualified and uninsured has been jailed for 12 weeks.

Miles Caffull, 26, was disqualified from driving for six months after getting 12 points on his licence from previous speeding offences while working as a response officer for Gloucestershire Constabulary.

Despite this, he continued to drive to and from work.

A judge said Caffull's actions were a "gross breach of trust".

Despite the ban being issued on 26 May 2023, he only admitted to the force he had been driving while disqualified on 20 June.

Prosecutor Owen Beale told Kidderminster Magistrates' Court: "He made the decision to drive to and from work and whilst carrying out his duties as a serving police officer using marked vehicles on blue lights.

"He did finally report his disqualification to his sergeant on 20 June, the day the local newspaper reported that he had been disqualified.

"It was only at that moment it came to light to Gloucestershire Constabulary."

Caffull, of Saxon Way in Ledbury, Herefordshire, pleaded guilty to driving a Kia while disqualified at Westgate Island in Gloucester on 26 May and driving a motor vehicle without insurance at Westgate Island and elsewhere on the same day.

Mitigating for Caffull, Colin Phillips said his client had been a person of previously good character.

He said: "He accepts he has been stupid and he doesn't understand entirely why he did what he did and what led him to do it.

"If he had reported his disqualification to his sergeant immediately, he could have been put on other duties. He has lost his job for no particular reason."

Judge Ian Strongman said the officer, who has now resigned from the force, had committed a "gross and repeated flagrant breach" of the law.

He said: "You had at least 12 points on your driving licence and as a serving police officer, you should have known better.

"You had plenty of opportunity to realise your offending was going to get you in deep water.

"It is a tremendous coincidence that it was the day the press wrote about it in the paper that you decided to tell your sergeant."

Det Supt Alastair Stenner, of Gloucestershire Constabulary, said: "Clearly Miles Caffull knew he was taking an incredible risk by continuing to drive police vehicles during this time.

"He was flouting the laws he swore to uphold, putting the public at risk and bringing the constabulary into disrepute every time he got behind the wheel.

"The sentence today reflects the seriousness of his offending and the disregard shown over such a long period."

Caffull, who was also disqualified from driving for 18 months, was told by the judge he must serve half of his sentence in prison.

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