Disgraced Blackpool driving instructor jailed for sexually assaulting teenage learner drivers

Disgraced instructor Jason Eastwood, 54, preyed on young women while driving alone with them on lessons around the resort and Fylde coast in his distinctive yellow Audi.

Join our WhatsApp Community to get the latest news and top stories from across Lancashire directly to your phone

He pleaded not guilty but was convicted on two counts of sexual assault at Preston Magistrates’ Court in March, where he returned for sentencing on April 30.

He was jailed for 12 months and added to the Sex Offender’s Register for 10 years. He was also made subject to a number of conditions restricting his contact with children under the age of 18 (see list below).

Magistrates said the offences were “so serious” that only a custodial sentence was justified.

Don’t miss all the important local Blackpool news - sign up for our newsletter here.

The court said the offences were aggravated by the fact he exploited his position as a driving instructor to groom vulnerable victims, including a 17-year-old learner in his care.

This abuse of trust and an element of planning his assaults led magistrates to conclude that only an immediate custodial sentence would be appropriate punishment.

They added they had no confidence that he could be rehabilitated properly outside prison.

Upon his release, Eastwood will be subject to the following prohibitions as part of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

1. Having any unsupervised contact of any kind with any child under the age of 18, unless it is inadvertent and not reasonably avoidable during lawful daily life.

2. No unsupervised contact without the consent of the child's parent or guardian who has prior knowledge of his convictions.

3. Undertaking any activity (paid, voluntary or recreational) which by its nature is likely to bring him into contact with any female under the age of 18 years without prior consent from the offender manager for the area in which he resides at the time of the activity

4. No female under the age of 18 should be in any car being driven by him or in which he is a passenger without the permission of the female’s parents who are fully aware of his sexual offence convictions

5. Prohibited from being alone in a private vehicle with a female under the age of 18 years who is not a member of his immediate family