A Winchester man, once described by a judge as a "lethal nuisance" on the roads, has been jailed for five months for a fourth count of driving while disqualified.

As he was sentenced at Basingstoke Magistrates Court, Robert Northey was described as someone with a long criminal record who had "contempt for the law".

The 29-year-old was arrested in July this year after being spotted by a police officer driving a Ford Escort along Easton Lane.

His actions were caught on the city's CCTV network and the officer later identified Northey from the video. He already knew that Northey was a disqualified driver, having lost his licence for three years in October, 2002.

However, on July 12th, just 11 days after that initial arrest, the same police officer again saw father-of-two Northey behind the wheel of the Escort, this time on Hyde Close, and arrested him again.

Northey originally pleaded not guilty, but later changed his mind and admitted two counts of driving whilst disqualified, and two counts of driving without insurance.

He also pleaded guilty to one count of theft after he was caught trying to steal six pairs of trousers from a Debenhams store in Bournemouth.

Basingstoke Magistrates heard how Northey, formerly of Airlie Corner, Stanmore, had an appalling criminal record, with past convictions for theft, burglary, dishonesty, assault and drugs offences, as well as the driving matters.

He was banned from driving in October, 2002, for three years and jailed for 21 months after leading police on a five-mile, 90mph chase through Winchester city centre, often with his lights off.

At the time Judge Patrick Hooton said of unemployed Northey that he was "literally a lethal nuisance, who could have run someone over and either maimed or killed them".

In mitigation, his solicitor, Robert Penfold, said jailing Northey wouldn't change him and that, instead, he needed help, such as an enhanced thinking course, so he could better understand his actions.

However, sentencing him to two concurrent six-month sentences for driving whilst disqualified, reduced by a month for an early plea, the magistrates said they had no option but jail.

They added: "You have repeatedly ignored court orders regarding your driving and have shown contempt for the system. To commit another two driving while disqualified offences within 10 days of each other while already banned from driving can only deserve a prison term."