A dangerous driver accused of flouting his probation order claims he told officers about difficulties with his dog.

Carl Francis, 29, denies breaching the terms of his suspended sentence order by failing to attend his thinking skills programme appointments in August without a reasonable excuse

Judge Maria Lamb was told by a probation officer on Monday that there had been a ‘series of comings ang goings with the vet’, which was the reason for dog owner Francis’ failure to turn up to appointments.

In March, Francis, of Eastway, Drayton, was given six months’ imprisonment suspended for a year and a half by a Gloucester judge for dangerous driving and possession of cannabis.

He was bailed to return to Oxford Crown Court on November 12, when a judge will decide if Francis breached his suspended sentence order.

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