A precious metal dealer claimed he could ‘lose everything’ if he was banned from driving following a speeding conviction.

Lionel Refson, 55, of Glanaman, pleaded guilty to speeding when he appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates on Monday.

He made an application to the court stating that a driving ban would cause his family and business exceptional hardship and could lead to him losing his home.

Vaughan Pritchard-Jones, prosecuting, told the court that police officers spotted Refson’s Merceedes exceeding the 30mph speed limit in Newgale at 12.33pm on November 4, and he was recorded travelling at 53mph.

The court heard that the speed limit varied in the area, and Refson had assumed it had increased when he came to the long stretch by the beach. There was little traffic and no pedestrians around.

Refson, who already had six points on his licence, told the court that he was a gold refiner, and had to regularly travel to his Birmingham shop to collect up to £20,000 of gold and silver.

He said: “I can carry 30 to 40kg of silver at a time, and have specialist insurance to transport it.”

He told the court that he also visited trade fairs and markets in different parts of the county and his wife had yet to pass her driving test. He added that he would be unwilling for his wife to take on the dangerous work of transporting the expensive precious metals, and using taxis or public transport would pose a security risk.

Refson, a father-of-three, said: “The business has a large turnover, but not a high profit, I couldn’t afford to pay a driver.

“The business could not survive if I could not drive. If the business shuts I would end up losing my house. We would lose everything.”

Mr Pritchard-Jones questioned why Refson had chosen such an expensive car if his business was struggling, and was told the company’s finances had improved this year.

Magistrates accepted Refson’s exceptional hardship argument and endorsed his licence with six points. They disqualified him from driving for 28 days.

He was fined £675 and ordered to pay £85 court costs plus a victim surcharge.