Student, 21, banned from roads after totting up 45 points on licence

A student who was caught speeding 10 times in just two months on the same speed camera has been banned from the roads after totting up 45 points on her licence.

Lara Bertin, 21, was seen hurtling up and down Brighton‘s picturesque seafront over a period of eight weeks in which she was caught speeding almost a dozen times.

The film student, who lives in the city in East Sussex, told Brighton Magistrates’ Court she was both a ‘key worker’ and unaware she had repeatedly broken the law despite travelling at more than 40mph multiple times on a 30mph stretch of road.

But when Ms Bertin returned home for a break over the festive period, she discovered a set of unwanted Christmas gifts: 10 separate speeding tickets.

The court heard the range of speeds she was clocked at on the automatic speed camera on Marine Parade in Brighton ranged from 38mph – 44mph. The case went to trial and she was found guilty at an earlier hearing.

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Film student Lara Bertin, 21, (pictured) was banned from driving after she was caught hurtling up and down Brighton’s picturesque seafront over a period of eight weeks in which she was found to be speeding almost a dozen times

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When Bertin (above) returned home for a break over the festive period, she discovered a set of unwanted Christmas gifts: 10 separate speeding tickets

On Friday, Bertin told magistrates in Brighton she was working as ‘keyworker’ during the first lockdown and was travelling along the seafront for part of her role.

She pleaded with magistrates to allow her to keep her licence claiming a driving ban would cause her exceptional hardship due to her job.

Bertin said that not only would lose her work experience position as a runner at a film studio, but her parents relied on her to pick her younger brother and sister up from school.

She pleaded: ‘I’m studying film at Brighton University and my job is being a runner and I’ve got a number of upcoming films where I am the runner.

‘I take clips from the studio to the location and I take the actors – some who have never been to Brighton before – to the studios. Everyone is relying on me.

‘Sometimes if my parents are busy I have to pick up my younger brother and sister up from school.’

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On Friday, Bertin told Brighton Magistrates Court (pictured) she was working as ‘keyworker’ during the first lockdown and was travelling along the seafront for part of her role

Bertin was clocked driving at more than 40mph seven times and over 30mph three times in an eight week period between September – November 2020.

The court heard she had already clocked up nine points on her licence for a previous speeding offence and driving without insurance.

Banning her for six months, Michael Sandeman, chair of the bench, said her case did not cross the exceptional hardship line.

He said: ‘While we recognise it will cause you an inconvenience to be banned from driving we don’t believe it would cause exceptional hardship.’

As well as banning her from the roads Mr Sandeman fined Bertin her £960 with £500 costs. He also ordered a victim surcharge of £96 making a grand total of £1556.

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