Co Tyrone doctor in her own private car doing almost 100mph 'on way to cover a hospital shift' avoids driving ban
A doctor caught doing almost 100mph in her own private car was on her way to a hospital after being called to cover a shift, a court was told.
The 47-year-old was detected doing 98mph in a 70mph zone - a dual-carriageway near Randalstown - on July 5 last year.
Christiana Frunza, of Ballymaguire Road in Ardboe in County Tyrone, was not present at Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena on Tuesday, but a defence barrister said there were guilty pleas to speeding and a second charge of failing to produce a driving licence to police within seven days.
A prosecutor said the speed detection was made at 10.30pm when the defendant was in her own Mini and not a "Doctor-on-Call" car.
The prosecutor said the defendant told police "she was a doctor on her way to an emergency call".
At the scene police offered her a fixed penalty notice but she "wanted to contest the matter in court".
The defence barrister said guilty pleas have now been entered after legal advice. He said the doctor was "acting in an emergency basis".
At that stage in proceedings, District Judge Nigel Broderick said: "You would think a doctor who was rushing to an emergency would understand that driving close to 100mph in itself creates a dangerous situation which could result in serious injury if not fatality and what they were doing really was swapping one emergency situation for a dangerous situation".
The barrister said the defendant was not at Tuesday's court because she is "on long term sick". On the night of the incident police had "taken her position at face value".
"She lives in County Tyrone. She was rushing to the hospital. She had been called to cover a shift. She accepts this is not a defence for speeding. This was a last minute call out, she was acting on an emergency basis" and the barrister asked the judge not to impose a driving ban.
Judge Broderick said "were it not for the fact that police offered her a fixed penalty I would have considered disqualification but I think I am duly obliged to take that into account".
The judge handed down five penalty points and a £200 fine for the speeding offence and a £25 fine for failing to produce the licence to police.