A West Bromwich father of two has been handed a suspended prison sentence after being caught driving 35mph in a 30mph zone while disqualified from driving.
Ravi Chettri, aged 39, of Milton Street, was observed travelling at 35mph along the A452 Chester Road in Erdington on 30 April in a blue Honda. At the time, he was already banned from driving.
During proceedings at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, 1 September, Chettri pleaded guilty to charges of driving while disqualified, speeding, and driving without insurance.
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The offence came to light after a speed camera detected the vehicle speeding. Initially, a notice was sent to the registered owner, but discrepancies in the driver’s details led to further investigation.
Prosecutor Ms Begum explained that the enforcement footage clearly identified a sole male driver, who was confirmed to be Chettri. During police interview, he admitted to driving the vehicle despite being disqualified.
In mitigation, Mr Khan, representing Chettri, highlighted his client’s early guilty plea and full cooperation with the police. He described the incident as isolated and acknowledged the speeding violation.
The court heard that Chettri had been disqualified from driving for six years starting January 2024, due to a prior failure to provide a specimen.
Magistrates imposed a total prison sentence of 26 weeks, suspended for two years on the condition that no further offences are committed. He has been disqualified from driving for an additional 12 months, extending his ban until January 2031. Furthermore, he was ordered to pay £239 in costs to the court.
The chair of the Magistrates emphasised the seriousness of the offence, stating: “We are going to send you to prison for a total of 26 weeks, suspended on the condition you are not convicted of another offence in those two years.”