Company insolvency director Richard Saville avoids motoring ban at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court

A 66-year-old motorist caught driving while on his mobile phone has escaped a totting-up disqualification.

Richard Saville, of Main Street, Thoroton, was caught using the phone while behind the wheel of a Land Rover on Maid Marion Way in Nottingham.

He had denied it, but changed his plea to guilty.

Nottingham magistrates did not impose the ban he had been due after hearing Saville was an insolvency director which requires significant travel to attend businesses at the last minute. They took into account the defendant's reputation and work was crucial to the running of the business and new support staff may be negatively impacted if a disqualification was imposed and business turnover reduced.

They accepted the reputation of the firm was reliant upon him.

Saville was fined £609 and told to pay £334 costs. He had six points added to his licence.

•A man who re-offended while subject to a suspended prison sentence has avoided jail.

Lee Love, 44, of Lee Road, Calverton, who also uses the alias Leigh Woodward, pleaded guilty to committing a further offence during the operational period of a suspended sentence order made by Nottingham Magistrates' Court last year for an offence of racially/religiously aggravated fear/provocation of violence by words or writing.

He was fined £50.

Imprisonment for the breach was deemed not appropriate because of the exceptional circumstances of the case, namely a strong chance of rehabilitation and a good support network in place.