"He has explained to me the impact of this [driving ban]. “He collects cars and he works in the motorsport industry – he is a company director at present. Ms Smith said Thoirs would still be able to run his business if he received a 56-day driving ban – the length of the ban imposed for single-occasion traffic violations. The case was then adjourned until July 23, when Thoirs successfully argued an automatic driving ban would cause him exceptional hardship. Court papers show the defendant, of Stafford Crescent, Braintree, has 12 points on his licence but will not serve an automatic ban.