A FAMILY was threatened with legal action after they voiced their displeasure at a relative’s sentence.

Relatives of Gary Biddle, who sat in the public gallery in Court One at Worcester Magistrates Court, erupted in anger on Monday when he was jailed for driving offences.

About 10 members of Biddle’s family were present for the hearing and levelled criticism at the magistrates bench as they left the court, with one man shouting “Why don’t you give him a chance? Get a life”.

Chairman of the bench John Taylor attempted to recall the rowdy group to court but it is understood the majority refused to return and left the building.

One man, who denied taking part in the shouting, did answer the request.

Mr Taylor asked him to pass on a message to Biddle’s relatives, describing their behaviour as a “disgraceful exhibition” and demanding they apologise.

He said: “It was disrespectful to this court. It was uncalled for. The defendant was given proper discount [for his guilty pleas] but we had no option but to sentence him to what he received today.

“In the future, the court will consider whether you are allowed into court. If this action happens again we will hold them in contempt of court and they will go to prison.”

Biddle, of Chatcombe Drive, Warndon, Worcester, pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified, driving with excess alcohol and without insurance. The court was told it was the 11th time the 29-year-old had been caught infringing a driving ban.

Biddle was pulled over on the A449 in Claines on Saturday, March 3, after police received a tip-off.

A breath test proved positive and he was taken to a police station, where the lower reading was measured at 50mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath – the legal limit is 35mcg in 100ml of breath.

He admitted to officers he should not have been driving after he was disqualified in September 2010 for aggravated vehicle taking.

Biddle told police the car belonged to his sister, who was a passenger in the vehicle with two other people, and the group had been drinking at a pub in Kidderminster when he decided to drive them home.

Matthew Ansell, defending, said while his client had an “extremely unenvious record”, he had managed to keep himself out of trouble for a year.

He told magistrates Biddle had been jailed on every occasion he had appeared before the court since 2007, and while that had the desired effect of getting him off the street, it did not help him address his offending.

Mr Ansell said the court could consider imposing a suspended sentence and urged magistrates to “give him a chance”.

But Mr Taylor said the bench had no choice but to jail him.

Biddle was given 20 weeks in prison for driving while disqualified and a further 20 weeks’ custody for drink-driving, to run concurrently.

He was given no penalty for driving without insurance and was banned from driving for four years.