Questions are being asked after a disqualified driver walked free from court - despite having notched up almost 200 criminal convictions.

William James McAllister, from Belfast, escaped prison after he was given a 10-month jail term, suspended for three years.

Banning the 29-year-old - who has a total of 81 driving convictions - for five years, Belfast Crown Court Judge Kennedy warned him it was his "very last chance".

McAllister, with an address at Ligoniel Road, pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified and without insurance.

Belfast Crown Court yesterday heard that it was discovered he was a banned driver after he was stopped at a police checkpoint on the Old Carrick Road in Newtownabbey last year.

Prosecution lawyer Kate McKay told the court that McAllister has a total of 81 previous road traffic offences spread over a 17 page criminal record dating back to 1993.

Defence lawyer Jonathan Brown said that since the offence McAllister had been put on probation for a similar offence and was responding well to it.

The court heard McAllister was now working as a full-time supervisor in various hostels in the university area of Belfast.

His boss said McAllister, who regularly dealt with drink and drug addicts, was doing well.

"Ironically, he is invaluable to us because of his record and court appearances."

However, when handing down the suspended jail term, Judge Kennedy told McAllister his offending "well deserved" him being sent to prison, and questions are being asked over why he wasn't sent down right away.

Road Trauma Support campaigner, Norah Ferguson said that repeat offenders were not being given a clear message.

Mrs Ferguson, whose husband was killed in a road accident, said: "The clear message should be that if you keep doing wrong you'll get a heavier sentence.

"Instead, repeat offenders are becoming a danger to the innocent public.

"Our group would feel that on occasions the system lets down many victims because of the leniency of sentencing," she said.

(BMcC)