Businessman Simon Liddiard, 57, was caught on camera speeding at nearly double the limit in his silver 3.8 litre £150,000 car, sporting his personalised D111VER number plate.
He appeared at City of London Magistrates’ Court today, where he pleaded guilty to driving at 36mph in a 20mph zone on the A4 Cromwell Road, Earl’s Court on January 7.
Liddiard, of Bulls Bushes Farm, Oakley, Hampshire was also fined £692, with £110 costs and ordered to pay a £277 victim surcharge.
City of London Police prosecutor Miles Hendley told the court it was 2.33pm when an automatic camera captured Liddiard’s Ferrari Roma speeding along the busy stretch of road in west London.
The court heard Liddiard - founder of Blue Marlin Dive - had nine penalty points on his driving licence at the time.
The three penalty points for his latest offence brought Liddiard to twelve points, which automatically triggers a minimum six-month ban.
However, he claimed such a disqualification would cause him and others ‘exceptional hardship’, but this was rejected by the magistrates.
“I rarely drive into London, but I had to meet someone and had no choice,” Liddiard told the court. “There was a massive traffic jam and roadworks everywhere and I thought Cromwell Road was a 40mph, not 20mph limit.”
He explained to the magistrates keeping his driving licence in the rural area he lives is vital to allow him to continue caring for his 87 year-old mother, who lives some miles from him.
“I retired twelve years ago and last October my mother had a fall and has had a shoulder replacement; full knee replacement; hip replacement and back surgery.
“She is very frail and after dropping off one of my children at their school I go to my mother’s, get her dressed, get her lunch and then collect my son from school.
“She does need full-time care and I am there every day at the moment, Monday to Friday and she has had three falls recently.”
Other siblings attend at the weekend, when Liddiard says he drives all over the county to various events his three children participate in, plus his own scuba diving responsibilities.
“All three of them play multiple matches all week and we would not be able to get them to all their matches with just one of us driving,” he told the hearing.
His wife is in full-time employment and Liddiard also own a Land Rover, in which he transports large amounts of scuba diving equipment - particularly to private Twyford School, Winchester, where he teaches the skill.
Bench Chairwoman Gay Cheyne dismissed Liddiard’s arguments for ‘exceptional hardship’ announcing: “We have heard his mother is vulnerable and lives alone, but we believe other arrangements can be made and the school arrangements can be temporarily rearranged.
“We do not find exceptional hardship has been made out,” she added, telling Liddiard: “If you drive while disqualified it is a very serious offence.”
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