Prolific speeder banned from driving for three years

A prolific speeder has been banned from driving for three years after being caught an 'unprecedented number of times' for the Constabulary.

Cristian Mustafa, 21, of Bitterne Road West, Southampton, was repeatedly caught speeding by cameras in 30mph limits in the city over a ten month period.

During that period, he was seen by the cameras speeding in three different vehicles, a Honda Civic, Skoda Octavia and Volkswagen Golf.

After giving the force's Summary Justice Unit, which handles speeding offences, the run around, and failing to respond to any requests for details of the driver of the vehicle at the time of the offence, Mustafa was finally caught up with on March 18, this year, when he was stopped for driving without any insurance.

When he was stopped by officers on St Andrews Road, Southampton, just before 9.30pm, it was found he had given the incorrect age to insurers, telling them he was 10 years older than he really was, invalidating his policy.

During the ten-month period of offences, running from May 23, last year, to March 18, this year, he reached speeds of up to 56mph on Kingsway, Southampton, and 48mph on Maybray King Way, Southampton.

Appearing at Aldershot Magistrates' Court yesterday (March 29), Mustafa pleaded guilty to ten speeding offences and three of driving without insurance.

There was also 56 further speeding offences taken into consideration.

Magistrates banned him from driving for three years, fining him £240, and ordering him to pay £80 court costs and a £34 victim surcharge.

PC Daniel Channer, from the Roads Policing Unit, said: "Mustafa was a prolific speeder, whose consistent offending and failure to respond to our correspondence led to a significant amount of time and effort being put into finally locating and stopping him.

"When you receive a notice informing you that your vehicle has been caught exceeding the speed limit, it is a legal requirement that you respond to advise who was driving the vehicle, and is a further offence if you do not do so.

"Speeding is also a major contributing factor to deaths and serious injuries on our roads.

"Our message has always been a simple one - it is not worth the risk. You are putting your own life, those of any people in your vehicle, and those of other road users and pedestrians in danger."