Totting Up: Will a delaying tactic prevent a driving ban? 

I currently have 9 penalty points on my driving licence and I’ve just received a Fixed Penalty Notice which will bring me to 12 penalty points. If I contest or appeal the Fixed Penalty, by the time the matter goes to Court, the first 3 points on my licence will no longer be valid. Is this a tactic I can use to prevent a totting up ban?

No. If you had 9 points at the time of the offence, the Court is still entitled to impose a totting up ban. The reason that penalty points remain on your driving licence for 4 years but remain only valid for 3 years is in order that the Court is fully aware of the driving history to prevent such a tactic.