A man who killed two people by dangerous driving in 2003 has been sentenced to community service after driving while he was still banned.

Shaun James William Webb had not taken the required extended driving test after a 10-year disqualification ended, but claimed he had thought he was allowed to drive once the ban finished.

After pleading guilty to driving while disqualified, magistrates ordered the 50-year-old to do 60 hours’ unpaid work and endorsed his licence with six penalty points.

In coverage of his previous court appearance on the new charges, we reported that police received a report on May 14 of a man driving on his own while only holding a provisional licence.

Webb was said to have driven from Port Erin and was heading into Douglas in a silver Renault Laguna.

Police decided to wait at his home address, at Reginald Mews in Douglas, and Webb subsequently arrived and parked the car nearby.

He was spoken to by police and confirmed he only held a provisional licence but claimed he had ’only driven down the road’.

When police challenged this, saying they had received information that he had driven from Port Erin, he did not deny it.

Webb was banned from driving in 2006 for 10 years and jailed for seven years for two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

He caused the deaths of 57 year-old Elizabeth Jane Corlett and her 83 year-old mother Elaine Gawne.

Webb was driving without L plates, a licence or insurance when the tragedy occurred on the Ballamodha Straight in October 2003.

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Later in 2006, he appealed to have the seven-year sentence reduced but was unsuccessful.

He has never passed a driving test or held a full licence.

On Thursday, defence advocate Matthew Wilshaw asked for credit to be given for his client’s guilty plea to the disqualified driving offence.

Mr Wilshaw said that Webb had obtained a provisional licence in 2016 after his ban had run its course, but had not started driving or taking lessons until January 2021.

’He says that was when he felt mentally well enough to drive,’ said the advocate.

’He was shocked when he was informed he was driving while disqualified. But he fully accepts he shouldn’t have got behind the wheel. He was running late for work and made the reckless decision, not wanting to lose the job that supports him and his family.

’This is the one and only time he has driven unsupervised. He will retain his employment if an immediate custodial sentence is avoided.

’If not, upon his release, it’s likely he’d return to a world still suffering with Covid-19 and find it difficult to obtain gainful employment.’

Magistrates also ordered Webb to pay £50 prosecution costs and gave him one month to pay.