A millionaire caught speeding in his Rolls Royce claimed he should escape a ban - because he needed his driving licence to do charity work and collect a surrogate baby from the United States.

Garreth Wood, who is married to former Miss Scotland Nicola Jolly, begged to stay on the road despite being clocked at more than double the speed limit.

Wood, whose father is oil tycoon Sir Ian Wood and whose family is Scotland's third richest, was caught speeding through roadworks with a 30 mph limit at more than 72 miles per hour - his fourth speeding conviction

Solicitor Lynne Freeland told Perth Sheriff Court yesterday: "I would ask the court to impose penalty points and allow him to keep driving. He realises his licence is a privilege to be cherished.

"He engages in a huge amount of charity work - it goes outwith that of a normal person. Last weekend he donated £250,000 of lifesaving equipment to the neo-natal unit at Wishaw General Hospital.

"He is due to have a second child through a surrogate in the US in October and is due to go over for six weeks. He will need to drive around between hospitals and other organisations.

"With the greatest respect to the court, and in no way attempting to minimise the offence, but I believe he is an unusual individual whose loss of licence would have a massive effect, not only on himself, but on several charities."

She told the court Wood, 36, was a patron of The Archie Foundation and was on the committee of several other charities including When You Wish Upon A Star.

"He travels to Aberdeen at least once a week. He is often requested to attend at last minute at various places around the country," she said.

"I would urge the court to deal with it by not disqualifying. He is a successful businessman whose work takes him from London to Aberdeen and his annual mileage is 35,000 miles.

"His company, The Speratus Group, has 250 people working for it, and he is very much an integral part of the company.

"The offence took place late at night when the road was quiet and in an area of temporary roadworks where the speed limit had been drastically reduced to 30 miles per hour.

"He had attended meetings in Glasgow and Edinburgh and been to Aberdeen and was on his way home late at night. He fully accepts he did not pay attention to the reduced speed."

Fiscal depute Carol Whyte told the court: "Traffic lights were in operation and road workers were on the carriageway. It was 11.20pm and he was captured travelling at 72.78 mph."

Wood, of Yester House, Gifford, East Lothian, admitted driving his ultra-powerful £250,000 6.5 litre Rolls Royce Wraith V12 Auto Coupe - with the personal plate G4 - at 72.78 mph on the A90 near Kinfauns on 20 August last year.

Sheriff Gillian Wade rejected his plea for leniency after noting he has already committed six previous motoring offences, including a number for speeding.

She said: "I have had regard to the testimonials and references provided and they are all very favourable. Mr Wood is very philanthropic.

"However, this is the seventh road traffic offence and a fourth speeding conviction. He was travelling at two and a half times the speed limit and, importantly, workers were engaged on the road at the time.

"The court has to take account of the seriousness of the offence." She banned Wood from driving for three months and gave him one month to pay a £750 fine.

Wood's family are reputedly worth £1.32 billion and he and his wife recently paid £120,000 to buy the last letter written aboard the Titanic.