THE boss of a Clydebank pharmaceuticals company has been handed a jail term after being caught twice in the space of a week driving whilst disqualified.

Sheroz Tahir, managing director of medical supplies wholesaler Cynosure, which operates out of Clydebank Business Park, appeared from custody for sentencing at Dumbarton Sheriff Court last week.

The 29-year-old was found to have driven a vehicle on the A82 near Inverbeg whilst disqualified, and therefore without valid insurance, on June 19 this year.

Tahir had committed the offence having been granted bail in December for separate incidents, and he had breached a curfew order by being outwith his home address between the hours of 7pm and 7am each day.

Tuesday’s hearing was told that police were on patrol in a marked vehicle on the A82 when they received a radio message at around 7.45pm on June 19 about a complaint over the manner of driving of a white Range Rover.

The procurator fiscal depute said: “Police observed the vehicle travelling south along the road, and officers turned around and took position behind it, before instructing it to stop with blue flashing lights.

“The vehicle turned into the Inverbeg Inn and came to a halt.

“A police check found the accused had been disqualified from driving for six months.”

Just five days later, on June 24, Tahir was pulled over by the same police officers, who recognised his car and had been carrying out vehicle checks in Kilbowie Road at its junction with Young Street.

Tahir, of Low Parksail in Erskine, had been held in custody since the date of his second offence.

His solicitor told the hearing: “He has suffered significant financial loss as a result of his incarceration.

“There is only one person responsible for that.”

The solicitor explained that her client had become addicted to benzodiazepines following the death of his grandmother, while his mother had also passed away from Covid recently.

“He had been using prescription drugs as a crutch to cope with bereavement,” the solicitor added.

“He has plainly breached a number of court orders against a backdrop of poor thinking whilst addicted to benzodiazepines.”

Tahir, who has a degree in accounting, was sentenced to 106 days behind bars, backdated to the time of his first offence.

Sheriff Frances McCartney also banned him from the roads for a total of 31 months.

The sheriff said: “This has been, at best, a very unfortunate series of events but you are clearly an intelligent man.

“It is up to you to make sure that you do not appear in these courts again.”

He also received a community payback order with a requirement to do 120 hours of unpaid work within 12 months.