A MEDICAL courier caught speeding three times by an average speed camera system at temporary roadworks on the A55 has been allowed to stay in the driving seat.

Andrew Griffiths, 33, was warned he would have to be very careful in future because he now had 19 penalty points on his driving licence.

Griffiths pleaded guilty at Flintshire Magistrates Court at Mold to breaking the temporary 40mph speed limit on the A55 at Abergele on January 30, February 1 and February 4.

He was found to be travelling at 48mph, 54mph and 57mph, said prosecutor Brian Robinson.

Defence solicitor Dafydd Roberts said Griffiths, of Marine Road in Prestatyn, was a former Infantryman who had served in the army for 10 years and had done tours of Iraq and Bosnia.

He then worked in a factory but then in the last 18 months had worked as a courier which involved taking blood and other samples to hospitals at Wrexham, Bangor and Bodelwyddan, picking up samples from GP surgeries and he was also “on call” when samples needed to be picked up quickly.

He was a careful driver who had not appreciated there was a temporary speed restriction in place earlier this year and could only apologise for his mistake, said Mr Roberts.

The offences occurred at night when no road works were actually taking place and no workers were placed in danger.

If he lost his licence he would be unable to work, he would be unable to pay the mortgage and he also needed to take his pregnant wife to medical appointments.

Griffiths was told that his argument for exceptional hardship would be accepted.