Man who said Queen’s death ‘upset’ him while driving hit with six month ban

Andrew Peters has been banned from driving for six months (Picture: Worcester News)

A man who blamed being ‘upset’ about the Queen’s death for speeding in his car has been hit with a six-month driving ban.

Andrew Peters, 63, was caught driving at 68mph in a 60mph zone on September 8 last year- just 15 minutes after the Queen’s death had been announced on the radio.

The Edinburgh-based management consultant already had nine points on his license prior to the incident – and those who reach 12 points are usually handed a driving ban.

Peters told the court he was ‘upset’ and ‘distracted’ after hearing the news of Queen Elizabeth’s death on his car radio.

He said: ‘The date [of the offence] is significant. At 6.30pm, it is a matter of public record, the Queen’s death was announced on the radio.

‘I was upset. I was distracted and I missed the (speed limit) sign. I was born in the 1960s, the Queen was part of my life.’

Peters claimed that the driving ban would make his life difficult and impact him financially in his job as a consultant, where he earns £60,000 per year.

But he told the court: ‘I don’t want to over-catastrophize. No one is relying on me (to be able to drive) – I want to be honest about that.’

Magistrates at Worcester Court debated for just ten minutes before denying Peters’ defence.

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Peters has been fined £384, will pay a victim surcharge of £154, and will not be able to drive for six months.

Chair of the magistrate’s bench Russell Williams said they had ‘not found evidence of exceptional hardship’ in Peters’ case.

At 6.30pm on September 8, 2022, an official notice announcing Queen Elizabeth II’s death was posted outside Buckingham Palace.

The announcement of the death of the UK’s longest-serving monarch interrupted broadcasts on television and radio.

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A man who said being ‘upset’ about the Queen’s death was a reason for his speeding been slapped with a six-month driving ban.