Property millionaire facing driving ban tells court having to hire chauffeurs would be 'exceptional hardship'

A property millionaire facing a driving ban has told a court that having to hire chauffeurs would be an "exceptional hardship".

David Russell, 63, amassed 24 points on his driving licence after his £114,000 company Bentayga supercar was repeatedly caught breaking the speed limit.

Russell, the chief executive of a £271m property company in Manchester, tried to claim he knew nothing of the offences because letters to his address were not passed on by his housekeeper.

He also tried to plea with magistrates not to disqualify him under "exceptional hardship", saying that when he was previously disqualified in 2006 he went through seven chauffeur.

He told the court: "I was disqualified 14 to 15 years ago but it was virtually impossible to get chauffeurs to come and pick me up at half five, six in the morning.

"In terms of hardship the last time I must have gone through five, six or seven chauffeurs - they didn't want to do the time and meetings would run over."

He went on to argue that he would have to "restructure my hours to between 8.30am and 6.30pm", but added: "Business would suffer and I would start to think of laying off the staff."

At Manchester magistrates court, JPs rejected Russell's plea not to disqualify him under "exceptional hardship" rules and banned him from driving for six months, fined him a total of £2,465 and warned he would face jail if he was seen behind the wheel of a car.

During the hearing the clerk of the court said: "We all have to make arrangements for post to be looked when we're away. That's something between you and the secretary not the court."

JPs added: "The bench does not accept your reasons for application for exceptional hardship. You are not allowed to sit at the wheel of a vehicle for six months. Driving without license and whilst disqualified is a very serious offence and those who do that may end up in prison."