A MOTORIST caught doing more than 90mph on the M6 in Cumbria has been spared a ban after he told a judge that he was rushing home to comfort one of his seriously ill children.

At Carlisle’s Rickergate court, 40-year-old Adebayo Popoola told District Judge John Temperley that his family’s medical emergency amounted to a “special reason” for not disqualifing him for the offence.

The defendant came to the attention of police on September 13 last year as he drove northwards along the M6 near to Junction 36, the court heard.

As he drove past roadworks, where the temporary designated speed limit was 50mph, the speed of his Volkswagen Passat was registered to be 94mph.  

“I’m truly sorry,” Popoola told the judge.

After driving in the UK for nine years, he ordinarily would not flout traffic rules, he said. But on the day in question, said the defendant, he was driving from Manchester to his Glasgow home when he took a hands-free call from his wife.

She told him that one of their two sons had become ill as a result of his sickle cell disease, a condition that affects both children. “I was trying to get home as quickly as possible,” said Popoola, explaining that such episodes offend resulted in the child being taken to A&E. He felt he needed to be there to comfort and calm his son.

The court also heard from the defendant’s wife, who wept as she told the judge her husband spends a lot of time with their sons and was hurrying home to help out, though she conceded she was capable of dealing with the emergency.

District Judge Temperley expressed sympathy with the defendant and his wife, coping as are with such an extremely stressful medical condition that affects their children.

But he ruled that, given that the child was in the care of his mother, who was well-placed to deal with the situation, there was no special reason in law for imposing a ban for the speeding offence.

But the judge noted the defendant’s mitigation, including the fact that Popoola was anxious about his child. In view of this, he imposed six penalty points on the defendant’s licence, and a £350 fine, £85 costs, and a £35 victim surcharge.

Any further driving offence will likely lead to a ban, said the judge, adding: “You need to be very, very careful.” The defendant, of Craigendmuir Street, Glasgow, thanked the judge as he left court.