Julian Dugdale convicted for driving while disqualified, despite claiming a builder was behind the wheel.
Soon after the police briefing, a cop saw him driving a VW Golf. Dugdale didn’t stop for the officer and ran inside his house, locking the door.
Dugdale claimed it was a mistake, saying a Polish builder named James was driving. Dugdale’s company makes antimicrobial coatings, and he had a trademark win back in 2021.
The court found Dugdale guilty of driving while disqualified and failing to provide details. He must now do 80 hours of unpaid work, and they banned him from driving for six months. The ban is paused while he appeals.
An earlier charge of drug driving in his Range Rover was dismissed because there was no evidence presented. Dugdale had been banned before, in November 2022, for 16 months.
Before that ban ended, police got a tip that Dugdale was driving a rented Golf and suspected he was using cocaine. The police reminded each other to watch for him.
On April 9th, 2024, an officer, PC Martin, saw the Golf near Knutsford. He knew Dugdale was banned from driving and recognized the car’s license plate letters.
The officer turned on his lights and sirens, but the driver kept going normally. Dugdale then stopped near some houses, jumped out, and the officer spoke to him.
PC Martin asked why he didn’t stop, and Dugdale said he hadn’t seen him. As the officer called for backup, Dugdale ran inside, locked the door, and didn’t answer.
The officer could have forced entry, but felt sure it was Dugdale, so he didn’t. He saw Dugdale’s Range Rover in the driveway, and Dugdale explained construction workers used the Golf.
He claimed a driver, hired during his ban, drove him places. The driver took him to get food, and he said he went to a bakery for breakfast.
Dugdale denied driving, saying he wouldn’t risk it so close to the end of his ban, as he already had insurance and a hired driver. He couldn’t recall the builder’s last name.
Dugdale said the builder disappeared, calling him a “rogue builder” and “immigrant”. Dugdale said he wanted to appeal the court’s decision and that he had a witness who can confirm he was in the bakery.