Speeding Tipton businessman’s driving ban

A 54-year-old Tipton St John businessman has been banned from driving for six months after speeding on the A30.

Mark Tincknell, of Hayne Hill, admitted speeding at Newquay last July in his Audi SQ5 car on the dual carriageway when he was caught doing 88mph in a 70mph zone by a speed camera.

Exeter magistrates heard he already had nine points on his licence and he claimed he would suffer exceptional hardship if he were banned. He told the court there was no reason for him to be speeding, but his new Audi car was ‘slightly more powerful’ and very easy and smooth to drive and ‘it caught me out’.

He said he was a majority owner of a software firm, who oversaw the sales of the new business, which meant he drove to potential customers in London, the Home Counties, Glasgow, Bristol and other parts of the country.

He told the court the business has a current loss of £200,000 and £1million of overheads and his own financial circumstances were ‘not particularly healthy’.

Tincknell also said that his parents, aged 81 and 76, were in very poor health and he drove to visit them at their Taunton home twice a week.

He added that his own health was suffering with chronic chest pain related to his heart and he suffered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

He said a driving ban would add to his anxiety stress and be difficult for him and financially crippling.

Tincknell told the court he knew he was on nine points when he was driving his new car, but said he sold it at a £10,000 loss after the latest speeding rap.

But the magistrates rejected his claim for exceptional hardship and banned him for the full six months. He was also fined £290, plus £89 court costs.

The court heard his wife could drive.