Little Common motorist wins legal battle

Luke Borland, 22, of Holland Avenue, was clocked doing 81mph on a 50mph stretch of the A27 as he rushed to an appointment one morning.

Police carrying out roadside checks pulled him over and he told them he had not spotted warning signs telling drivers the speed limit had been cut.

Prosecutor Mark Kateley told Lewes magistrates: "Police were on duty at 11am on May 2 carrying out static checks on the Kingston roundabout.

"A Ford Focus estate was observed approaching in lane two of the carriageway. It's normally a 70mph limit and it was recorded at 81mph.

"It was stopped and Mr Borland, the driver, was spoken to. It was pointed out to him that that part of the road was restricted to 50mph.

"He said that he did not realise that. There were two signs showing the change of limit and he said he did not see them and thought it was 70mph."

Borland admitted speeding when he appeared in court on Wednesday.

Representing himself, he said: "I completely accept and regret that I was speeding.

"I drive as part of my living and I was going to be late for a meeting in Croydon with a school. I work with a publisher.

"With the roadworks earlier on the A27 I thought I was going to be late for that meeting which is why I was not concentrating coming up to the roundabout.

"I have a fully clean licence and no criminal record and I would hope you would see me as someone with good character.

"A full licence is necessary for my job."

Sentencing, magistrates told Borland that it was "just madness" to speed even if he was late for an appointment.

They said that the fact he was so far over the limit meant he would normally get a driving ban.

But magistrates told Borland they had decided to take the "unusual step" of not disqualifying him because of his previously good character and clean driving record.

Borland was given five penalty points on his licence and fined 300 with 75 costs.