Co Armagh man (20) caught driving at more than double the speed through Lurgan followed by PSNI, has car taken off him by his dad, Craigavon court hears
A 20-year-old factory worker, caught driving at more than twice the speed limit through Lurgan town centre while followed by police, has had his car taken off him by his father, a court hears.
Luke Abraham, from Kingsway Drive, Lurgan, appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court on Tuesday charged with speeding.
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The court heard that on May 8 this year at 1.30am police were travelling along Victoria Street approaching the junction with William Street in Lurgan. Police spotted a Ford Fiesta driving along William Street in the direction of Church Place which they believed to be speeding.
The offending vehicle travelled from Church Place onto Market Street, accelerated increasing their distance from the police vehicle. Police observed that their patrol vehicle speed increased to 68mph in the 30mph zone while trying to catch up with the other vehicle while that vehicle continued to increase distance from police.
The defendant stopped at Flush Place and said he believed he had been stopped as he had been driving "quite quickly”.
"Police were going to deal with the matter via a fixed penalty however they believed the defendant had been driving at more than twice the speed limit and he had six points already on his licence,” said the Prosecutor.
The court heard that Abraham already had his driving licence revoked under the New Driver’s Scheme due to the six points.
Mr Harry McCourt, solicitor for Abraham, said his client explained to police that he was rushing to home to take medication for certain heart problems.
"It is half one in the morning. He has accepted his guilt straight away to police,” said Mr McCourt, adding that Abraham has written a letter to the court “sincerely apologising” for his crime.
He added that Abraham works three jobs – a factory job and two security jobs. “He’s a very industrious young man and very concerned about losing his licence. He is being assessed for ADHD,” said Mr McCourt.
The solicitor said that his father, who attended court, had taken the car off his son since this incident and he has been driving him to work “as a form of punishment”.
He was given five penalty points and ordered to pay £100 plus the £15 Offender Levy.