Young mechanic travelling in front of a police car on Toome bypass was driving at 105mph and pulling away from them, court hears
A mechanic who was said by police to be driving in excess of 105mph along A6 at the Toome bypass, has lost his licence for four weeks.
Magherafelt Magistrates Court heard police activated blue lights and sirens to get the 24-year-old to stop.
Reuban Malcolm McLean, of The Creamery, Carricknakeilt Road, Knockloughrim, was also fined £300 with a £15 offender's levy arising out of the incident on November 27 last year.
McLean accepted that he had been speeding but strongly denied travelling at over 100 mph.
Prosecuting counsel who called one of two police officers to give evidence, said there had also been a cameraman from the BBC documentary ‘The Peelers’ in the vehicle.
The officer said he saw a yellow Lexus come on to the A6 and they were travelling about 100 metres behind it as it went towards Castledawson.
The witness, who was a front seat passenger, estimated that McLean was travelling at 105mph for between 45 and 60 seconds.
"I looked up and he was still going away from us,” he told the court.
He said they activated lights and sirens but were not able to catch up as there were a lot of cars “running up and down the bypass on a Sunday night”.
The officer said the Lexus was eventually located parked up at a supermarket in Toome.
McLean denied he could have been doing 105mph.
He said he was not doing in excess of 85mph and admitted that this speed had been “a lapse of judgement”.
District Judge Conor Heaney said he was satisfied the defendant had been travelling at 105mph.