Serial offender: David John Browne leaving Newcastle Court House on Thursday.

Serial offender: David John Browne leaving Newcastle Court House on Thursday. Photo: PHIL HEARNE

He would be 200 years old, if he lived that long, before he could legally get behind the wheel of a car again.

But retired bus driver David John Browne, of Newcastle, says he’s done with driving.

‘‘I’ve certainly learnt my bloody lesson,’’ he said yesterday.

The 61-year-old narrowly escaped a 12-month jail term after receiving a suspended sentence in Newcastle Local Court for driving while disqualified.

He was caught by Newcastle Highway Patrol officers during a random breath test at Wallsend at about 6pm on June 16.

He told police he did not have a licence and produced a proof-of-age card.  Police checked it and found that he’d been disqualified from driving until 2149.

That was not counting the extra two-year disqualification he’d been handed in Newcastle Local Court the week before for another driving while disqualified charge.

Outside court, Browne said he was relieved to escape a jail term.

‘‘I am very, very grateful that the judge saw it that way,’’ he said.

He said he got into the car to drive on June 16 because his son was urgently required at work.

‘‘It was a case of necessity. I had a son who needed to get to work and the car was there.’’ He  admitted that there was some ‘‘stupidity’’ involved.

After six strokes, he is partially blind in one eye and will never attempt to drive again, he said.

‘‘The car’s in the top of the back yard. It’s going to my son who is about to go for his test.’’

Browne said he’d only been caught driving while disqualified three times, but it had involved a 22-day stint behind the wheel as the driver of a bus ferrying kids.

That only happened because he’d been disqualified from driving without his knowledge – he’d moved house and had not received the notice, he said.

His criminal record reveals he was fined $500 and disqualified from driving for two years for each of those 22 days in Parramatta Court on April 21, 2006.

He was also declared a habitual offender, with 100 years added to his disqualification period, pushing his non-driving days out to 2149.

Then he was caught driving on March 28 this year, for which he was given a 50-hour community service order and a further two-year disqualification, to 2151.

Yesterday he was given a 12-month suspended sentence and placed on a good behaviour bond, as well as being disqualified for a further two years, until 2153.

Source: SMH