AN ‘IDIOT’ driver was 'racing' and claimed he did not see a police officer with a speed gun standing in the road in front of him.

The officer, who waved Kieran Millard down, had to step back out of the road to avoid being hit by the defendant’s speeding car.

The 22-year-old of Bath Road, Worcester, admitted driving without due care and attention, speeding and failing to stop for a police officer when he appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court on Thursday.

Because he could not get a phone signal he could not immediately prove he had a policy of insurance at all and was told to go upstairs where he could get a better signal to enable the prosecutor to see the document.

The defendant told magistrates: “I haven’t got time for this. I’ve got to get back to work or I’m going to be sacked.”

Magistrates told him that this matter took priority and, when he returned to court, Millard further admitted driving without insurance. Although he had insurance at the time his licence had been revoked by the DVLA and therefore it was invalid.

The court heard that speed checks were being performed by police on Whittington Road in Worcester on June 4 this year.

Amanda Tomkins, prosecuting, said an officer formed the opinion that Millard was driving faster than the 40mph limit and recorded him doing so (62mph) with a hand-held camera.

The officer indicated for the driver to pull over into lane one but ‘he showed no sign of stopping’ so that he stepped into the lane and waved at Millard to get him to stop.

The officer said: “The vehicle sped up and I could hear the engine rev. I had to stand back to avoid being hit by the vehicle.”

Millard was later spoken to by police at a petrol station where he told an officer he was ‘currently disqualified’. Checks showed his licence had been revoked pending the defendant sitting another driving test.

He admitted the offences at the roadside. Millard, representing himself, said: “Don’t they have to be in plain view?

“He (the officer) was stood behind a silver Corsa. I could not even see him. By the time I was coming up to the Corsa he was running into my road. I genuinely didn’t see him.”

The clerk of the court asked him the reason he was travelling at that speed. Millard replied: “I was being an idiot. I was racing another car.”

Magistrates fined him £1,064 and ordered him to pay £135 costs and a £106 victim surcharge.

The defendant said: “I can’t afford that!”

He offered to pay in instalments of £50 per week. Magistrates placed six penalty points on his licence for driving without due care and ordered his licence to be endorsed with details of the other offences.