Police mounted a 80mph chase after Waringstown man 'who has a heavy right foot', Craigavon court hears
Police mounted a 80mph pursuit of a 23-year-old man after he overtook another vehicle near Waringstown, a court has heard.
The pursuit started after police spotted the man overtaking a BMW crossing into the white chevron markings and continued, with their blue lights activated, for more than a mile at speed on January 23 this year.
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Zak Davidson from Windsor Lodge, Waringstown appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to careless driving and failing to stop for police.
“The vehicle made no attempt to stop but increased speed. Police lost sight of the vehicle for a short time due to how fast it appeared to be travelling,” a prosecutor revealed.
A short time later police saw the vehicle on the Banbridge Road heading towards Lurgan which is a 40mph zone.
"Police continued on the Waringstown Road and caught up with the vehicle. The speed on the police car at that stage was 80mph and this was within the 40mph zone. The BMW was still travelling at speed but the vehicle stopped at Shane Park, Lurgan. Police had followed the vehicle for 1.2miles at that speed,” said the prosecutor.
Davidson’s lawyer pointed out his client had nine live points at the time adding: “He’s put himself in a very difficult position. He’s also put his employment in a very difficult position.
The lawyer said the defendant left school after his GCSEs. “Academia wasn’t really for him,” he said, adding that Davidson worked hard and obtained qualifications in engineering and now works as a marine engineer.
He is employed as a project engineer with a firm who submitted a character reference to the court. His lawyer says the firm he works for has projects all over the UK and Europe with the defendent recently working in Somerset on a fish return system at Hinkley Point.
"He’s doing very well from modest beginnings,” the lawyer said, adding that the reference from Davidson’s employer conveys the importance of the defendant’s licence.
The lawyer also provided the court with a reference from Lurgan Rugby and Cricket Club adding: “He’s a decent young man from a decent family and is doing his best. But he has a heavy right foot.
"He’s had penalty points in the past and they haven’t brought home the importance of observing speed limits,” said the lawyer, adding that this process “most definitely has”.
The lawyer said his client posed no danger to other vehicles during the first instance when he overtook another vehicle, however that is what drew him to police attention.
He added that while the police may have been travelling at 80mph during the pursuit, he felt it was unclear to him that his client was doing “anything like to those speeds”.
He said when his client first heard the police behind him he immediately slowed his vehicle and when he understood the police were interested in him he stopped.
"He’s placed himself on an absolute knife-edge through nobody’s fault but his own,” the lawyer said.
District Judge Michael Ranaghan said: “You appear to be doing a very interesting job, a very valuable job and I don’t want you to lose it.”
He banned Davidson from driving for two weeks. For each offence he was fined £150 plus £15 offender levy.