Motorist hit speed of 128mph 'on way to help friend who was trapped under a vehicle' near Ballymena
A motorist who hit a speed of 128mph said he was rushing to the aid of a friend who was trapped under a vehicle which was being fixed.
Bartosz Smolinski (41), of Montague Manor, Ballymena, was detected in a Mercedes C-Class in a 70mph zone - the Frosses Road near the town - around 9.30pm on August 20 this year.
He was at Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena on Tuesday (December 16), where a defence solicitor accepted that it was an "outrageous" speed. The lawyer said that traffic was light.
The solicitor said the defendant received a phone call from a friend who was dismantling a gearbox and had been "trapped".
He said it was only by the "grace of God" there had not been a "catastrophic" incident at such a speed.
District Judge Nigel Broderick said you may have thought the first call would be ambulance or police if you were trapped under a vehicle.
The judge agreed it was an "outrageous" speed and said each week he deals with drivers doing more than 100mph "but this is beyond the pale".
He said the defendant was "very lucky" not to be facing a dangerous driving charge.
He said by driving at a "ridiculous" speed of 128mph the defendant had not just put himself at risk but also other road users.
The defendant was banned from driving for six months and was fined £500.