Theatre director's 'driving instructor' role lands him in court

A THEATRE producer and director became a bogus driving instructor when his work dried up during the Covid pandemic.

- By MARTIN NAYLOR

Nottingham Crown Court heard how David Neale Birch earned thousands of pounds from unsuspecting students even though he wasn't licensed to teach them to drive.

When the 62-year-old found out that the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) was investigating him, he contacted clients asking them if the organisation had been in touch. When they gave their statements, learner drivers whose tests he had helped them pass spoke about him “in glowing terms”.

Imposing a 12-month community order, Recorder Adrian Langdale said: “It is with great sadness that I have to sentence someone of your background and age who has no previous convictions bar speeding and is essentially a man of good character.

“It was a foolish thing that you did and you stupidly carried on with what you knew was not correct.