The ex-husband of supermodel Koo Stark has been banned from driving after being caught speeding in his £200,000 car.
Mayfair art gallery-owner Tim Jefferies was pinged driving his silver 6.75 litre Bentley Continental at 25mph in a 20mph zone on Cromwell Road in Chelsea on February 22.
The 63-year-old, whose marriage to Prince Andrew’s ex Koo lasted barely a year, already had nine points on his licence and was facing the automatic six-month ban.
But he tried to avoid the ban citing ‘exceptional hardship’ and explained he needed his car to drive his art around and visit his frail 83-year-old mother in a care home in Sussex.
Jefferies, who lives in a £4.2m house in west London, also claimed his licence was vital to enable him to drive his 16-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son to school, a responsibility he shares with his Swedish model ex-wife Malin Johansson, 48.
He claimed that his children may be forced to walk home if he was not there to pick them up, which would make them targets for gangs and other kids looking to steal their phones.
Wearing a smart dark navy suit with a purple shirt, Jefferies appeared at Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court and accepted a £574 fine.
He was also disqualified from driving until April next year after dismissing his arguments against disqualification.
Jefferies told the court: ‘One of the main things I use my car for is take my frames from Islington to Mayfair. I am the only person who can inspect the frames.
‘These are valuable pieces of work, from as little as £10,000 to half a million pounds.
‘I inspect frames and I need to collect them in some cases. My clients are based in and around London, some in the countryside. The clients expect to see me. I am pretty much a one-man band.’
Ben Langley, defending, asked Jefferies if there was any other way he could transport the frames.
Jefferies replied: ‘I don’t have a policy that allows things to be transported by a taxi, bus or Tube.
He added: ‘It is a tough time to be an art dealer. It is a tough time to be in any business really. I am concerned that without my expertise and the ways thing are presented, it will definitely have some impact on my business.
‘I am already looking at ways to cut corners, cut costs, without my driving licence, I fear I will have to let someone go.’
Jefferies also told the court: ‘My ex-wife has a business making cashmere jumpers and clothing. She needs to attend shows and see her clients.
‘Her having to take the kids back and forward is going to impact her business.
‘Especially the concern for me and my ex-wife is that as the evenings are drawing in, my 16-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son may have to walk home from school.
‘Some kids get their phones taken from them like from gangs and other kids.
‘Her work commitments are fluid, that is why we agreed to stick between the two of us.’
Jefferies continued: ‘My 83-year-old mother is in a home in Sussex. She refers to it like a prison but she really likes it when I take her out for lunch or a coffee.
‘She likes to get away. I drive down about two or three times a month.
‘I am anxious about it. Seeing how much she responds and enjoys my visits.. I take my kids down there as well, and that is a great source of joy for her.
‘I’m not a medical professional but I see the difference my visits make to her demeanour. She would be very depressed.’
Mr Langley added: ‘On the balance of probabilities, this case affects other people, rather than the defendant himself.
‘He apologises to the court. He has had his licence for 45 years and has never been to court before.’
But sentencing Jefferies, Magistrate David Simms said: ‘We are not persuaded that disqualification would cause exceptional hardship to yourself or any other persons.’
‘In terms of your business, there are alternative means to transport the artwork to your clients.
‘In respect of your children, there are public transport routes and or taxis to get them to or from school.
‘In respect of your mother, there are alternative means of transport so you could get there.
‘You could also coordinate visits with your sister. For those reasons the very high bar of exceptional hardship has not been met.’
Mr Simms handed Jefferies a £574 fine, comprising a £317 fine, a £127 victim surcharge, and £130 court costs. Jefferies was disqualified from driving until April next year.
The ‘Playboy’ first came to public attention as the Green Shield Stamps heir who married Koo Stark – the American actress who had previously dated Prince Andrew for 18 months.
They met when he was 21 and she was 28, but the marriage barely lasted a year.
At the same time when they dated, Jefferies received a £500,000 settlement from his grandfather Richard Tompkins, who introduced Green Shield stamps to Britain and founded the Argos chain.
He also dated Australian model Elle Macpherson, and German model Claudio Schiffer.
He married Johansson, but separated in 2019. They have two children.
Jefferies runs Hamiltons Gallery. Latest accounts for the gallery report that it holds stock worth £4.3million.
