A PAINTER and decorator who ended up owing £900 after challenging a speeding charge has appealed – and saved himself £770.

Self-employed Thomas Davidson was fined £220 with £650 costs plus £30 statutory surcharge and given three penalty points on his driving licence after being convicted of the offence in his absence by magistrates earlier this year.

His Vauxhall was clocked by a police hand-held speed gun at 36mph on a 30-limit stretch of Coniscliffe Road in Darlington, shortly after 11am on April 4, last year.

The 52-year-old, from Merrybent, near Darlington, believed he was driving below 30mph, having noted his speed when warned of the police check by oncoming motorists.

He declined the offer of a speed awareness course or paying a £100 fixed penalty and instead opted to take the case to court.

However, due to complications following hospital surgery, he was unable to attend the hearing at Peterlee Magistrates' Court in April.

But after being informed of the outcome, he appealed against the sentence.

He told the hearing, at Durham Crown Court, he considers himself a careful driver, having only had one previous speeding offence, 15 years ago, during 30 years of driving.

Based on income, he said he felt he did not deserve such a high court bill, presenting recent six-monthly returns to the court showing he only came out with a small profit.

Following deliberation with two magistrates, Judge Christopher Prince told the appellant: “We accept you are not a villain and at the time of the magistrates’ hearing you were concentrating on your hospital treatment.

“As you were unable to attend, the magistrates imposed a fine based on assumptions.”

Judge Prince said he and the magistrates he was sitting with did not feel it “fair” the appellant should have been given a £650 costs order.

They also agreed to reduce the fine to £100, the amount he would have had to pay had he accepted a fixed penalty order.

But the £30 victim surcharge was retained together with the three penalty points, leaving a final court bill of £130.

The judge added: “What it comes to is that you have saved yourself £770 today, so it was worth coming.”