Pastor caught using phone while driving avoids ban after telling court his 'congregation would suffer'

Joseph Cherian, 55, was facing disqualification after the offence on the M56 in Cheshire in December last year took him to 12 points on his licence.

Cherian, a senior pastor better known as Pastor Biju Cherian, oversees 13 Pentecostal churches across the north of England and Wales.

He told the court he was the only official able to lead communions, baptisms, weddings and funerals across the churches, and argued that losing the ability to drive would create exceptional hardship for worshippers.

Cherian, of Prenton on the Wirral, said public transport was not a realistic alternative because members of his congregations sometimes needed him urgently during “crisis moments”.

He also said some churches would be forced to close if he could no longer travel to them, leaving congregations without a local place of worship.

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Magistrates in Chester accepted the argument and allowed him to keep driving despite now having 12 points on his licence.

Cherian, who lives with his wife, a specialist nurse at Arrowe Park Hospital, has been a minister for 25 years and is based at Mahanaim Church of God in Old Trafford, Manchester.

He also oversees 12 other churches in places including Bangor, Preston, Burnley, Keighley, Telford, Shrewsbury and Ludlow.

The court heard he was seen by a police officer briefly handling his phone for navigation while driving on 22 December last year. The offence carries a mandatory six points.

Specialist motoring lawyer Gwyn Lewis, representing Cherian, said the pastor drives about 5,000 miles a month.

He told the court it was “extremely difficult” to drive 60,000 miles a year without “getting a single point”.

Mr Lewis argued that the churches would “not effectively be able to function” if Cherian was unable to visit them, and said he would also lose his job and income.

He added: “Hardship will be suffered by other individuals, individuals calling on him and for the welfare of the churches. Those individuals are those who would suffer.”

Cherian said he supports members of his congregations with “personal counselling, family counselling [...] hospital visits, child dedications”.

He said churches including Ludlow and Bangor would “definitely need to close” if he was banned from driving, because he “cannot rely on public transport”.

The court also heard letters had been submitted by members of his congregation in support of him and the role he plays in their lives.

Magistrates decided to endorse his licence with a further six points, but not disqualify him from driving.

He was also fined £492 and ordered to pay £327 in costs and surcharge.

JP Ian Williams told him: “You are [responding to] the needs of your congregation and the needs that you are often asked to come out for in crisis times.

“That is something we admire that you do and we are sure the people here are eternally grateful.”