AN actor and sex addiction therapist drove his Ford Mondeo at 110mph because he was frustrated about being tailgated, a court has heard.

Taner Hassan appeared before Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday to admit one charge of speeding after he committed the offence on the A130 last September.

Hassan, a trained TV presenter who works as the operations manager for child and adolescent mental health services in Essex, was unrepresented in court.

He told magistrates he was “extremely frustrated” after a motorcyclist tailgated him on the A12.

Gazette: Frustrated - Taner Hassan told magistrates he grew frustrated after being tailgatedFrustrated - Taner Hassan told magistrates he grew frustrated after being tailgated (Image: Daniel Rees, Newsquest)

By the time he made it onto the the A130, a motorcyclist was still driving behind him.

The motorcyclist was in fact a police officer trying to get Hasan to pull over, but the defendant told the court he thought the individual was another tailgater.

He said: “I let my emotions get the better of me – I was extremely frustrated by being tailgated and followed on the A12.

“I wanted to get away on the A130 and I noticed the motorbike following me again – I became a bit frustrated and frightened, so I sped up."

The court heard Hassan drove at 110mph for two miles.

He continued: “I was relieved when it was the police officer, but my second thought was, ‘ah, that’s not great’.

“He calmed me down and talked to me for 40 minutes.”

Hasan, who auditioned as a contestant on ITV Popstars in 2001, told magistrates he had been driving to pick up his nine-year-old daughter from Southend.

He continued: “I am setting up the children’s mental health service across the whole of Essex.

“I do require to get to Southend and Thurrock, zipping around the whole of Essex and I am a psychotherapist.”

Hassan told the court he had an annual wage of £50,000 but wouldn’t be able to pay the £1,156 fine the court was imposing.

He said: “I wouldn’t be able to pay that in full at all.”

Gazette: Fined - Taner Hasan was ordered to pay a fine of £1,156Fined - Taner Hasan was ordered to pay a fine of £1,156 (Image: Daniel Rees, Newsquest)

Chair of the bench Peter Hoche said: “Next time, this will be considered more seriously.

“We will make a 28-day collection order.

“The fines office will tell you how to make that payment – you can’t pay, so you will have to tell them that’s not possible.”

Hassan 43, of Flavius Way in Colchester, also had his driving licence endorsed with six points.

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