Ballynure motorcyclist who hit speed of 109mph on M2 motorway accepted he had been going 'far too fast', Antrim court hears
A motorcyclist hit a speed of 109mph, a court has heard.
Joseph Lowry (29), whose address was listed as Castle Manor in Ballynure, pleaded guilty to an excess speed charge by contravening a 70mph limit at Rathbeg on the M2 motorway near Antrim town at 9.20pm on July 22 this year.
At Antrim Magistrates' Court, sitting in Ballymena, a defence solicitor said the defendant wished to apologise for the offence.
The defendant accepted he had been going "far too fast" and and sold the motorbike a number of days later.
District Judge Nigel Broderick said people read media reports and "quite properly the Press perform a very important role in keeping society aware of what is going on in courts and if defendants travelling in excess of 100mph don't get disqualified then everybody else will think 'well sure they weren't disqualified, nothing to stop me putting the foot down and going 100mph'.
"Then our roads become even more dangerous," he added.
The judge said it is "scary" when driving on a motorway and a motorbike comes "flying" up the outside at high speeds.
He said many people are in court before him for driving at over 100mph and "I have to make sure that our roads are safe. There must be a clear message that if you drive at these speeds you will be disqualified and that is the only deterrence the courts can really properly impose".
The defendant was banned from driving for a month and was fined £200.