Ref. 31145-63A 31-year-old nightclub doorman was jailed yesterday after clocking up his 43rd conviction for driving while disqualified.

Swindon magistrates said Jamie Manderson, who was last banned in September for three years, blatantly ignored rules and regulations.

Minutes earlier the defendant broke down in tears in the dock and pleaded with them to be given another chance.

"I don't want to keep going to jail. I do want help, but no one wants to help me. My mum is dying and I don't want to lose her while I'm away," he said.

Manderson, of Morris Street, was found guilty of his 42nd driving while disqualified offence and having no insurance.

But he was cleared of dangerous driving in Drakes Way, assaulting a police officer, causing damage to a police motorcycle, failing to stop after an accident, failing to report it and two other counts of driving while disqualified and having no insurance.

Then it was revealed he had pleaded guilty at Chippenham magistrates and was awaiting sentence for later charges of driving while banned, dangerous driving and having no insurance and was awaiting sentence.

He was sentenced to six months in prison for the 42nd driving offence, four months for the 43rd and six months for dangerous driving, to run concurrently. No separate penalties were imposed for having no insurance.

Defence counsel Paul Orton said there was no forensic or identification evidence tying Manderson to the Rover car that reversed at speed into PC Barrie Card's motorcycle throwing him to the ground just after midnight on January 23.

Counsel for the prosecution, Lisa Hennessy claimed Manderson bought the Rover, registration number K761 AMO for £150 from Martin Williams and collected it on January 15.

A week later, on January 22, he was allegedly recognised by security manager Charles Ross at the Asda filling station. Later that evening the Rover was reversed into PC Card's machine after he had pulled over in Drakes Way.

In the witness box Manderson, who has worked on the door at Edwards and Bar Reflex in Swindon, said he had not bought the car, nor had he ever driven it.

If he had he would have demanded a receipt or a logbook as proof of purchase. "If I was driving that car and I was pulled over the police would not believe it was my car." he explained.

CCTV video allegedly showing him at a cashier's booth in the Asda West Swindon filling station was of a man without a goatee beard, while he had worn a beard for many years, he said.

Manderson said Mr Williams, who has a similar goatee beard and short, dark hair, had been mistaken for him before, so had others.

Sentencing Manderson chairman of the bench Barry Wicks condemned his courtroom "histrionics and total disregard for rules and regulations."

After the case PC Card said: "The laws should serve as a deterrent to motorists and if those motorists continue to drive they should serve a term of imprisonment.

"People who drive while disqualified automatically invalidate their insurance leaving the other parties in accidents and disqualified drivers often have accidents to pay the price."

Tina Clarke