A newly qualified air stewardess escaped a six-month speeding ban after breaking down in court and saying she would lose her dream job.
Jessica Littleboy, 24, was clocked at 53mph in a 30mph zone as she drove a £90,000 3-litre Range Rover Sport along a dual carriageway to pick up her boyfriend from hospital.
At the time, Littleboy – who works for budget airline Jet2 and got her ‘wings’ only last month – had six points on her licence after being caught using her phone at the wheel in 2021.
She faced an immediate ban because drivers travelling at more than one-and-a-half times the speed limit should get six points – putting her at 12 under the ‘totting up’ procedure, which is an immediate disqualification.
But Littleboy wept as she told magistrates that a driving ban would end the ‘job of her dreams’, because she needed to drive from her Merseyside home to Manchester Airport to catch early-morning flights.
Jessica Littleboy, 24, was clocked at 53mph in a 30mph zone as she drove a £90,000 3-litre Range Rover Sport along a dual carriageway to pick up her boyfriend from hospital
At the time, Littleboy – who works for a budget airline and only got her ‘wings’ last month – had six points on her licence after being caught using her phone at the wheel in 2021
But Littleboy wept as she told magistrates that a driving ban would end the ‘job of her dreams’, because she needed to drive from her Merseyside home to Manchester Airport (pictured) to catch early-morning flights
Littleboy was driving a £90,00 Range Rover Sport when she was speeding (stock photo)
The newly qualified air stewardess was let off after she broke down in tears in the courtroom
Littleboy was fined £276 with £230 in costs
JPs agreed not to follow sentencing guidelines and gave her a 14-day disqualification, suggesting she get a cab to work or get her father to take her. But the ban was temporarily ‘frozen’ after she vowed to appeal
The speeding incident took place on November 26 last year after the luxury hire car – which can do zero to 60mph in 5.4secs – was flashed by a speed camera just after 11am in Bootle, Merseyside, Wirral Magistrates’ Court heard
Littleboy said she needed a car to get to the airport, she added: ‘If I have to check in at 3am there is no public transport available at that time’
JPs agreed not to follow sentencing guidelines and gave her a 14-day disqualification, suggesting she get a cab to work or get her father to take her. But the ban was temporarily ‘frozen’ after she vowed to appeal.
The speeding incident took place on November 26 last year after the luxury hire car – which can do zero to 60mph in 5.4secs – was flashed by a speed camera just after 11am in Bootle, Merseyside, Wirral Magistrates’ Court heard.
Littleboy, who lives with her parents in nearby Maghull, sobbed as she told magistrates: ‘I work for Jet2 cabin crew and this is what I have wanted for a long time.’
Saying she needed a car to get to the airport, she added: ‘If I have to check in at 3am there is no public transport available at that time.’
Littleboy said her father ran his own company and would have to set off at 1am. ‘By the time he gets back, he has to go to work – he would have no sleep,’ she added.
Defence lawyer Keith Webster said that on the day of the speeding offence, Littleboy was in an unfamiliar car. He said she was ‘facing a catastrophic end to her career due to her being caught on camera speeding on that one occasion’.
He added: ‘Sometimes very, very nice people fall foul of a moment.’
Chairman of the bench Geoffrey Green told Littleboy after imposing the 14-day ban: ‘We wish you well in your job.’ She was also fined £276 with £230 in costs.