South Tyneside mum spared road ban despite speeding offence taking her beyond 12 points
South Tyneside woman successfully argues against road ban despite offence taking her beyond disqualification limit.
A South Tyneside mum has been spared a road ban – despite her latest speeding offences taking her to a disqualification-level 13 penalty points.
Margaret Taylor, 69, claimed it would cause herself and her two sons, who suffer serious health conditions, exceptional hardship – and magistrates agreed.
Taylor, of Henderson Road, Simonside, South Shields, was clocked driving at 36mph on a 30mpg stretch of Chester Road, Sunderland, on Monday, December 30, 2024.
And on Monday, February 24 last year, she was caught speeding at 42mph in the 30pmg Sunderland Road at Cleadon.
She already had six penalty points on her driving licence and faced a six-month ban under totting.
But she came before magistrates in South Tyneside to fight that threat – and did so on two fronts.
‘Special reasons’
Taylor first claimed she had a special reasons defence for speeding both times, in that one of her sons was with her and suffered a diabetes health setback each time.
She claimed she drove above the legal limit in a rush to get him chocolates and drinks to bring a diabetes spike under control.
But prosecutor Sarah O’Neill said Taylor was well versed in her son's health problems and should have been better prepared when out driving.
Magistrates rejected Taylor’s application, saying she should have taken such provisions with her – leaving her on a ban precipice.
But her solicitor Jason Dudhee then put forward a second argument, that a disqualification would cause her and her sons exceptional hardship.
Taylor told the hearing that not having access to a vehicle would make it difficult getting at least one of her boys to medical appointments.
‘Taxi costs prohibitive on limited income’
She revealed some meetings with health professionals were in Newcastle and that taxi costs would be prohibitive on her limited income.
Taylor had more success with that argument and persuaded magistrates to allow her to keep driving on exceptional hardship grounds, despite them then upping her points tally to 13.
For the December 2024 offence, they imposed three penalty points and fined her £40.
And for the second matter, they imposed four penalty points and fined her £120. They also imposed a combined £44 victim surcharge.
Magistrates warned her that she would not be able to put forward the same exceptional hardship argument in the next three years if again caught speeding.