A BUSINESSMAN caught speeding on a motorway at 116mph has had his ban reduced.
Iain Black, managing director of a paper firm, was caught speeding in his new BMW on the M5.
He had a three-month driving ban reduced on appeal by Judge Jamie Tabor QC at Gloucester Crown Court.
Black, 47, of The Melting Point, Huddersfield, managing director of Paragon UK paper manufacturers, Sunderland, appealed against the disqualification on the grounds that it was making it difficult for him to meet his business and family responsibilities.
The court upheld his appeal, reducing his driving ban to 55 days. He has already spent five and a half weeks without his licence since the ban was imposed.
Janine Wood, prosecuting, said Mr Black was driving north in his BMW 630 near Gloucester at 5.40am on June 20 last year when police checked his speed at 116.7mph.
Magistrates fined him £600, ordered him to pay £30 costs, endorsed his licence and banned him for three months.
Simon Butterfield, defending, said Black had to travel extensively with his work and also needed to make monthly trips abroad.
Because of the ban he has had to travel by train and taxi from Huddersfield to Sunderland every Sunday night to be at work on time on Monday mornings, said Mr Butterfield.
Domestic circumstances were also difficult for him because he is separated but has custody of his two children every weekend and needed to collect them from their mother's home 15 miles from his own, said the barrister.
"He has already had a shot across the bows from members of the Board as far as his employment is concerned," said Mr Butterfield.
"He was called to a meeting in Ireland and asked to give an assurance that the business would not be affected by his disqualification.
"There is a real possibility his employment will be affected."
After retiring to consider the appeal with two magistrates announced that the ban would be reduced to 55 days.
