A leisure company tycoon has been fined £750 at court after admitting driving at 72mph in a temporary 30mph limit on the outskirts of Perth.
Perth Sheriff Court heard that Garreth Wood, 36, is executive chairman of leisure firm the Speratus Group, as well as a patron of the Archie Foundation.
He has also donated £250,000 to Wishaw General Hospital’s neo-natal unit following the loss of triplets at the hospital, which were born to Wood and his wife former Miss Scotland Nicola Jolly.
Yesterday, the court heard that Wood, whose father is Aberdeen billionaire Sir Ian Wood, travels on average around 35,000 miles per year, which includes many trips from London to Aberdeen.
Depute fiscal Carol Whyte said a temporary 30mph speed limit was in operation due to roadworks when a ‘speed gun’ captured Wood driving at 72mph at 11.20pm.
“Road workers were on part of this road at the time,” she said.
Solicitor Lynn Freeland, defending, appeared on behalf of her client and said he was executive chairman of the Speratus Group and travels around 35,000 miles per year.
“This particular day, he had travelled from Edinburgh to Glasgow, up to Aberdeen and was then travelling back home,” she said.
“He travels regularly on this road, including up to Aberdeen at least once per week, but admits he failed to reduce his speed on this occasion.”
Ms Freeland told the court that Wood is heavily involved in charity work, being a patron of the Archie Foundation, which helps sick children, a patron of Wish Upon A Star and is also a trustee of the Wood Foundation.
She said her client would be travelling to America in November regarding the birth of a second child through a surrogate mother, and described Wood as being “a successful businessman who helps others”.
She said: “My client knows having a driving licence is a privilege and should be cherished. He knows this was a mistake on his part.”
Wood of Gifford, Haddington, had admitted that on August 20 last year, on the A90 Dundee to Perth road at Kinfauns, he drove at 72.78mph in a 30mph limit.
Sentencing Wood, Sheriff Gillian Wade QC told his solicitor: “Your client has extremely favourable references but has seven road offences, with this being his fourth for speeding. Workers were on the road and your client was two-and-a-half times the legal speed limit.”
In addition, Wood was banned from driving for three months.
His father, Sir Ian Wood, is best known for his work in the North Sea with the Wood Group and was reputed to have a net income of £1.32 billion last year.