A DRIVER who undertook a police car at 80mph has been hit with a hefty fine.

Michael McQuillan, 39, was caught carrying out the manoeuvre in a Ford Transit van on the A12 at Colchester.

At Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on May 7, a guilty plea was entered to a charge of driving a vehicle without reasonable consideration to others.

The court heard McQuillan, of Gosport, Hampshire, undertook a marked police vehicle at around 80mph, before cutting back into lane two to avoid slower moving traffic.

He was fined £380, ordered to pay costs of £90 and his driving licence was endorsed with seven points.

A MAN harassed a woman by telephoning her and visiting her home despite signing an order prohibiting from doing so.

James Brown, 54, sent messages, made phone calls and arrived at the home of a woman in Harwich between April and December last year.

In December last year, he signed a community resolution order agreeing not to contact her.

But he continued to contact her, sending another message, calling her and visiting her address, where he left a bag of items for her Brown, of Connaught Gardens West, Clacton, admitted a charge of harassment and appeared at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on May 7.

He was ordered to undertake a course of mental health treatment for six months and a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

He was fined £80 and ordered to pay £200 in compensation, while a restraining order was put in place banning contact with the victim.

A DRINK driver who was found in possession of cocaine, an air gun and a knife has been spared an immediate prison sentence.

Valerijus Baravikovas, 40, was found to have driven a car in Clacton in January while over the legal alcohol limit.

A breath test recorded 52mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.

He was also found in possession of a gas-powered gun, a lock knife and cocaine.

He admitted possession of the knife, gun and cocaine, and drink driving, appearing at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court for sentence on May 10.

Baravikovas, Lancaster Avenue, Barking, was sentenced to 12 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months.

He must complete 80 hours of unpaid work and a 25-day rehabilitation activity requirement, and pay £145 in costs.

He was banned from the roads for 14 months.

A MAN has been jailed after he spat at a police officer and stole cash from a shop.

Tony Cartwright, 43, was found to have spat at the officer in Colchester earlier this month.

Appearing at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on May 11, he admitted assaulting an emergency worker.

He also admitted burgling a shop in Norwich in April, stealing cash and lottery scratch cards.

Cartwright, of no fixed address, was sentenced to one year imprisonment, with the spitting offence deemed to be made more serious by the circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic.

He was ordered to pay £250 in compensation to the officer and £72 to the shop.