19-year-old Co Down motorist 'late for training' hit speed of 105mph
A motorist who hit a speed of 105mph said he was late for sports training.
The 19-year-old was detected in a BMW116d in a 70mph zone at the New Moneynick Road dual-carriageway in County Antrim on Sunday March 8 this year.
At Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena on Tuesday, a defence solicitor said fifteen references were provided to the court.
The solicitor said the defendant – Patrick Kelly Gordon, of Glassestown Road near Banbridge - is doing podiatry at university in Derry/Londonderry and does work placements.
He said some of the references referred to the defendant's "sporting endeavours and his engagement with the flag football team of American Football. And he represents Ireland".
On the Sunday morning in March the defendant was driving his father's car to attend training and was late, the court was told. The defendant's parents were with him in the public gallery of the court on Tuesday.
The solicitor said there had been an incident in County Mayo when a number of teenagers were in a vehicle and there had been fatalities and his parents "sat him down and made him watch this because they wanted to bring home the enormity of what he had done". The car was taken off the defendant for a time by his parents.
The solicitor said two of the references were from "two very senior former police officers" and they had "spoken with him directly about this". The defendant was "completely contrite".
District Judge Nigel Broderick said "unfortunately" he has to deliver sentencing comments "far too often" that it is every parent's nightmare to get a knock on the door to be told their child is in a serious if not fatal road traffic accident.
He said there are far too many young men involved in serous road accidents and invariably speed is a major element.
He said the defendant was "a relatively inexperienced driver" having only passed his test in 2024 and the 105mph speed was "bordering on dangerous".
The judge said many young men think they are "infallible" but unfortunately they do get involved in serious and fatal collisions.
He took into account the references, clear record and guilty plea but said there had to be a deterrence to stop people doing such speeds.
"There is never a good reason to speed at this high speed," said Judge Broderick. The defendant was banned from driving for one month and fined £150.