Banned Leeds driver begged not to be jailed after being caught behind the wheel
A banned driver begged not to be locked up after a judge said the court would be a “laughing stock” if she did not send him into custody.
Sebastian Leczkowski told Leeds Crown Court that he “can’t go to prison” after Judge Kate Rayfield activated a suspended he had received previously for dangerous driving.
She told him it was “not a conversation” as he protested in the dock after being told of his fate.
She told him he was lucky to get his suspended sentence for dangerous driving in 2024 and had completed little of the work expected.
She added that the court would become a “laughing stock” if firm action was not taken.
Despite being on a ban, Leczkowski was stopped on Cardigan Road in Leeds on the afternoon of August 5 last year while driving a Land Rover.
It had been flagged as uninsured, prosecutor Corey Boothe told the court.
Checks found that Leczkowski was banned and wanted for theft.
The 29-year-old then gave a no-comment interview at the police station.
He later admitted driving while banned, driving without insurance and failing to surrender to custody, after not attending Leeds Magistrates’ Court.
He was eventually arrested around three months later and kept on remand until he made his appearance.
Leczkowski, of Wayland Approach, Adel, has five previous convictions for 11 offences, all for driving matters.
He was given the 12-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, in April 2024 for dangerous driving, driving while banned, having no insurance and taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent.
For those offences he was given a new three-year driving ban, rehabilitation days to complete with probation, and unpaid work.
The court was told recently that he had failed to comply with probation or complete even two full days of the work asked, despite the suspended-sentence order being passed 18 months ago.
Mitigating, Mollie Briggs said for his latest offending, there was no evidence he had driven far or that he was driving dangerously.
She said his mother had been left disabled by the Manchester bombing, but on this occasion he was driving his ex partner’s car because she was ill at the time.
She said of his decision not to turn up at court: “There’s no excuse for being at large for three months. It was a very careless decision.
“He did hand himself in. These proceedings have been a wake-up call.”
She said he had issues with heroin and cocaine but said he had demonstrated his ability to address his problems after becoming clean of both substances.
Judge Rayfield activated 10 months of his suspended sentence, plus another three months for his latest offending, making a total of 13 months.
She also handed him a new 26-month driving ban.