A man caught speeding appealed to magistrates for leniency on the grounds his ex-wife’s success on Dragon’s Den means he needs to spend more time with his daughters.
Spencer Lodge, 40, was caught speeding on the A1 at Barrowby, driving at 97mph. Lodge, who already had nine points on his licence, appeared before the court to make a case for leniency on the grounds a lengthy ban would hit him particularly hard.
Mrs Jackson, defending, told the court Lodge was speeding as he was giving a lift to a friend who needed to get home to tend to her poorly teenage daughter.
Lodge, 42, told the court he lives in Dubai where he has worked in the past but returns to this country for a weekend a month to see his daughters. However, as he is out of work his ex-wife has asked that he look after his daughters and take them to school for a full week each month.
Lodge, explaining why a ban would cause him exceptional hardship, told the court: “After my wife’s success on Dragon’s Den with Deborah Meaden and Peter Jones her business went from a cottage industry to a full blown business.
“It has meant lots of extra demands on her business and she wants me to share in the responsibilities, and rightfully so.”
However, magistrates found exceptional hardship was not demonstrated. Lodge, who gave his address as Coldarbour Farm in Dunmow, Essex, received an extra five points on his licence and was banned from driving for six months.