A CHESTER man caught going at 55mph in a 30mph zone in Ellesmere Port has been ordered to pay more than £1,200.

Mahbub Chowdhury, 21, of Green Lane, Vicars Cross, was found guilty of the offence following a Newton hearing in which he had failed to attend at Chester Magistrates Court.

Appearing at the magistrates court on Tuesday, June 14, Chowdhury was fined £600 and ordered to pay court costs of £620, plus a £60 victim surcharge.

Prosecuting, Michael O'Kane said it was at 12.50am on April 22, 2021 when a police officer on patrol in Sutton Way, Ellesmere Port, became aware of an Audi A3 driven by the defendant, heading towards Overpool Road, accelerating hard.

The police officer said the car was going at 55mph, when the speed limit for that road was 30mph.

Chowdhury had admitted the offence but disputed the speed at which he was said to have been going, so a Newton hearing was arranged.

However, Chowdhury failed to attend the hearing and was convicted on the prosecution's facts.

Defending himself, Chowdhury said he had mixed up the times of when the hearing was due to take place as the reason why he had not attended.

He explained he had a job working at a car dealership and that required him to keep his driver's licence.

Magistrates imposed six penalty points on Chowdhury's licence, bringing the defendant's total points up to nine.