Larne motorist hit speed of 132mph after zooming past police car
A motorist who hit a speed of 132mph has been banned from driving for a year after being convicted of dangerous driving.
Andrew Robert Steele (30), of Bryan Street in Larne, zoomed past a police car on the A8 dual-carriageway - a 70mph zone near the town - at 4.20pm on May 1 this year. It is believed to be one of the highest speeds to ever come before a court in Northern Ireland.
He admitted a charge of exceeding a 70mph speed limit but had had contested a second charge of dangerous driving relating to the same incident.
A prosecutor told Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, on Tuesday, July 23, that a police vehicle "moved out of the way" when Steele's car approached from behind and when they followed they noted that their speed at one point was recorded as 132mph.
Footage of the incident was shown to District Judge Nigel Broderick. A defence lawyer said that the driving was "obviously far too fast". Judge Broderick said that he defendant's speed had been "unbelievable".
Convicting the defendant of dangerous driving the judge asked: "Do you think that anyone doing 132mph would be in control of a vehicle if something untoward happened, for example an R driver doing 45mph? You have to expect everything on the road."
The judge said it was "quite clear" from the footage that it had been an "extremely excessive speed".
He said it had been a 70mph zone and when the police vehicle tried to "keep pace" with the defendant they recorded a speed of 132mph at one point.
Judge Broderick said that he had "no hesitation" in convicting the defendant of dangerous driving and added: "It is just fortunate but for the grace of God that nothing untoward happened when the defendant drove at a grossly excessive and, in my view, dangerous speed."
The court heard the defendant had previously been caught doing 100mph and the judge said: "He didn't' learn his lesson then."
The judge told Steele: "You are somewhat fortunate in that you didn't have an accident. If you had hit another car and caused a serious injury or fatality you would be facing a judge and jury with a possibility of a lengthy custodial sentence."
Judge Broderick said that the defendant had been doing "almost double the speed limit" in a 70mph zone.
He banned the defendant from driving for a year and fined him £400. Steele will have to re-sit his driving test to get back on the road.
The defendant had appeal bail in the sum of £500 fixed but the judge said he was not allowing to get behind the wheel pending the outcome.
Judge Broderick added: "I see this defendant as a real risk to other road users and if he is allowed to drive in the meantime my fear would be he would cause an accident, if not kill somebody."