A construction worker who continued to drive while banned has been locked up after being spotted swigging a can of beer before getting behind the wheel of his BMW.

Polish national Mariusz Lojko has an “appalling record”, having racked up several drink-related convictions over the course of 12 years.

He’s now been jailed after deciding to drive home from an early morning shopping trip with his wife in Gravesend.

Medway Magistrates’ Court heard Lojko was spotted by a security guard downing beers outside Lidl at the Imperial Retail Park at 9.20am.

A photograph taken of him behind the wheel was passed to police and when officers caught up with him at his home, they discovered he was disqualified and driving without insurance.

A breath test revealed the 47-year-old was under the limit but he was charged with driving while disqualified and without insurance.

He admitted the offences when he appeared in the dock on December 3.

Deputy District Judge Claire Furlong heard he committed the crimes while on a suspended sentence he’d been given last year for drink driving.

She decided he would spend his Christmas without his wife and children in a prison cell.

She said he was a danger to the public as he repeatedly flouted court orders not to get behind the wheel - he had other driving convictions in 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2020 as well as the 2023 conviction for drink-driving.

The court heard dad-of-three Lojko, of Nansen Road, Gravesend, committed the latest offences on October 15.

Prosecutor Debbie Jones said: “A witness took a photo and it was passed to the police.

“The owner was located and the photo matched and it was established he was disqualified from driving and thus, not insured and he’s on a suspended sentence which he was given on July 25, 2023, when he received a 40-month ban.

“The offences were: no insurance, no licence and drink-driving and he got the suspended sentence for that.”

Roger Haw, defending, told how his client worked on building sites where he drives dumper trucks, which is allowed because it’s private land.

He said: “He was in a car park outside Lidl when this happened and his wife was shopping and had told him there were problems with the gears.

“He drove home and they swapped places (him and his wife).

“He has two teenagers and a three-and-a-half-year-old child, but he’s got an appalling record for excess alcohol.

“He was seen by a security guard drinking the cans of beer but was under the limit, so that’s some improvement over other drink-driving matters.

“If he loses his licence it will have an effect on his partner and family as she is at college and he is self-employed.”

The court also heard from a probation officer who pointed out Lojko had also been given a suspended sentence in 2020 which hadn’t stopped him from committing similar driving offences.

Judge Furlong told Lojko he had an “appalling driving record” which started in 2012 when he was banned for excess alcohol, no insurance and no licence.

She said: “There were other driving convictions in 2016, 2017, 2018 and one in 2020 and then there is the 2023 conviction and I have to take that into account when sentencing.

“You knew you were driving while disqualified on each occasion.

“You are a hard worker and you have a partner who is at college, but I have to balance that with the risk you pose to the public while drink-driving or driving without insurance or while disqualified.

“I am also concerned you were drinking alcohol at 9.20am. That’s a significant concern and of course, you are in breach of the suspended sentence order of four-months custody suspended for 24 months.

“I am going to activate it but reduce that to two months’ custody and for the driving while disqualified, that must move up the sentencing guidelines, so I am jailing you for eight weeks, but that’s reduced from 12 (weeks) because of your early guilty plea.

“Those terms are to run consecutively, but you will receive no separate penalty for the no insurance offence, but your licence will be endorsed.

“You will also have eight months added to the 16-and-a-half months you have left on your ban and you will pay a victim surcharge of £154 but no costs.”