AN EXPECTANT father caught speeding has held on to his licence after telling a court he would lose his job if he was banned.

William Jackson already had six points when he was spotted doing 45mph in a 30mph zone coming out of the village where he lives.

Magistrates imposed another six points on the 40-year-old’s licence, meaning he would have to face a six month ban under the totting up rules.

But he appealed against the sentence and a judge sitting at Swindon Crown Court with two justices upheld his request and did not impose the ban.

Jackson said his wife was expecting their third child in May and there was a chance it may have to be delivered by Caesarean section.

He told the court that he was the main bread winner and would also almost certainly lose his job if he was disqualified.

Representing himself, he said that he was business development manager for a company which supplies and installs £250,000 wind turbines on farms.

He said he drives about 1,500 miles a week in his job and can be in Scotland on a Monday and Cornwall on a Wednesday. If he was banned he said he would not be able to do his job. He said the knock-on effect at the company where he works could lead to others being laid off.

He said he would struggle to meet the rent on the family home and would have to rely on benefits.

The court had been told that he was caught by police at 8.30am on Monday, October 25 last year as he made his way to work in his Toyota Land Cruiser.

He said he thought he was in a 40mph zone as he was accelerating out of the village but realised now he was still in the 30mph area.

Jackson, of Spirthill, near Swindon, pleaded guilty to speeding in a letter to the magistrates’ court.

As well as the points he was also told to pay £400 fines and costs.

He told the appeal that he had no idea he faced a ban and thought he would receive three points, not six, and a fine as he had been handed a fixed penalty notice by police.