Poulton OAP allowed to stay on road despite totting up enough points for a ban

A speeding grandfather has been allowed to keep driving by a court.
Blackpool Magistrates CourtBlackpool Magistrates Court
Blackpool Magistrates Court

Paul Waterhouse, 71, of Hardhorn Road, Poulton, was in line to be banned from the road after admitting an offence of speeding.

He already had nine motoring penalty points on his licence and the three points he would be given for the speeding offence would total 12 making him eligible for disqualification.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He was fined £40 with £85 costs plus £30 victims' surcharge and had three penalty points put on his licence by Blackpool magistrates.

Presiding magistrate, Edward Beaman, told him: "We are not going to ban you because of exceptional hardship to you because you could not get to your job and because of hardship to your sons and grandchildren."

The court was told that on June 22 Waterhouse was seen driving a Ford Europe on Warren Drive at 38mph in a 30mph zone.

He already had six penalty points on his licence for failing to give information relating to the identity of a driver and three points for a speeding offence.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Waterhouse told magistrates he had previously not received paperwork on the case as his wife had kicked him out of the house just after Christmas and he was living at a different address.

He asked magistrates not to ban him because it would cause exceptional hardship and added: "I am a careful driver. I have not had an accident in 40 years."

Waterhouse added that his life consisted of taking his seven grandchildren to schools in Fleetwood and Marton and to after school activities. He also had a part-time job in Kirkham.

He said if he were banned it would cause his three sons hardship as they would have to take time off to transport the children around and he would not be able to do his job.