Dermot Matthews had been caught speeding along Queensway in Mildenhall and was convicted by magistrates in his absence.

Because the 45-year-old had not provided details required by law, including who was driving the vehicle, the penalty had been higher than for just breaking the speed limit.

Matthews, of St John's Close, Mildenhall, appeared at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday to lodge an appeal against the magistrates' penalty of a £375 fine, £60 prosecution costs and six penalty points on his licence.

Patricia Doggett, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said that Matthews had been caught by a speed camera on December 10 last year travelling at 36mph in a 30mph limit.

Repeated requests for information about who had been at the wheel of the Volkswagen car met with no response, despite Matthews being given extra time to comply, said Miss Doggett.

In his absence, Matthews was convicted and sentenced by West Suffolk magistrates on September 18, of failing to supply information about the driver of a vehicle.

Detailing his appeal against sentence, Matthews told Judge John Devaux, sitting with two magistrates, that while he admitted to having been the driver of the car, he had been under great strain at the time of the offence and during the period requests for information were being sent to him.

Matthews, who now works as tutor at the West Suffolk College teaching motor mechanics, said he had been coping with redundancy, his father being seriously ill and his girlfriend had been pregnant.

He said that on the day he was supposed to be appearing before magistrates his girlfriend was admitted to hospital because the baby was two weeks overdue and there were concerns that she was about to give birth.

Dismissing the appeal, Judge Devaux told Matthews that if he had attended the magistrates court and admitted the speeding offence, it was likely he would have received a lower fine and only had three points added to his licence.