7:10pm Friday 30th July 2010
By Emily Walker, Chief Reporter
A driver raced along the A27 at 135mph then claimed the police made him speed up. Businessman Andrew Vass complained that magistrates had been too harsh imposing a two year driving ban and appealed at Hove Crown Court yesterday.
His sentence was slashed to just an eight month ban.
Vass said he had only driven so fast in the first place because the unmarked police motorcyclist chasing him drove him to speed up.
Paul Jarvis defending Vass said his client had sped up because of the police motorbike following him on the Hove stretch of the road in April.
Mr Jarvis told the court: “The motorcycle was quite close, as unmarked police bikes tend to be.
“He was nervous about the motorcycle so close to him so he put his foot down to try and distance himself."
Vass, of Gordon Road, Thatcham, near Newbury, had his original two year driving ban cut to just eight months yesterday.
He was driven away from court and back to Berkshire in his partner’s car.
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