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The Telegraph
The Telegraph
National
Phoebe Southworth

Lord Marland swerves driving ban by arguing there were not enough speed limit signs on M25

Lord Marland arrives at court, where he admitted speeding in his Bentley on the M25 - Christopher Pledger
Lord Marland arrives at court, where he admitted speeding in his Bentley on the M25 - Christopher Pledger

Lord Jonathan Marland has avoided a driving ban for speeding after successfully arguing that there were not enough signs on a stretch of the M25.

The Conservative peer, an adviser to Boris Johnson for more than a decade and former treasurer of the Party, was caught by a speed camera travelling at 70mph in a 40mph zone when he was on the way to Heathrow Airport in a Bentley on June 23 last year.

Lord Marland, 65, already has six points on his driving licence, and another six for this offence would result in him receiving a driving ban.

However, his solicitor Nick Freeman - dubbed "Mr Loophole" for helping a string of celebrities wriggle out of driving offences - successfully argued that the signs showing the 40mph speed limit on a road filtering into Terminal 5 of the airport were inadequate.

Mr Freeman said there was only one sign indicating this limit at the beginning of the zone it applied to, and there was no further signage, so it was unreasonable for a driver to know whether the speed limit was 40mph or the usual motorway limit of 70mph.

The prosecution agreed to accept that Lord Marland was in fact traveling at 55mph. He was given only three points on his licence and narrowly escaped a driving ban.

Nick Freeman at his home in Cheshire - Lorne Campbell / Guzelian /
Nick Freeman at his home in Cheshire - Lorne Campbell / Guzelian /

Mr Freeman has previously defended celebrities including Jimmy Carr, Jeremy Clarkson and David Beckham.

Lord Marland, of Odstock, Salisbury, pleaded guilty to speeding at 55mph and was ordered to pay £390 in costs.

Abigail Akano, prosecuting at Lavender Hill magistrates' court, said: "There was poor signage where the road was. I have agreed to lower the speed - the speed we have agreed is 55mph in a 40mph zone."

Quiet motorway

Mr Freeman said: "It was a long time ago. We would ask for a fixed penalty. The motorway was absolutely deserted. He was going to Gibraltar on government business. He cooperated fully with the officers."

Lord Marland told The Telegraph he was flying to Gibraltar on "Commonwealth business" to open an office there. He said his trip had been delayed due to Covid-19 lockdowns and this was the first opportunity to make the crucial journey.

He holds the position of chairman of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council.

"The UK government wanted to make a clear statement of intent that the Commonwealth was their future when we left the EU," he said.

Lord Marland said he received his summons to attend court on Christmas Eve, and it was galling that police appeared to be prioritising speeding offences over tackling more serious issues in London, such a  knife crime.

David Walker, chairman of the bench, told him: "The court accepts that you pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity to a speed of 55mph in a 40mph zone. This puts you on nine points - we will endorse your licence with three points.

"You are getting very close to 12 points, for which you would receive a driving ban. From now on, drive with extreme caution."

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