Champion athlete was caught driving his mother’s Mercedes at 180kph on the M9 motorway
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AN ATHLETE who had just returned home from university in America because he wants to join the Irish athletics team was caught driving back from training in his mother’s Mercedes at 179kph, Carlow District Court heard last week.
Michael Power (25) was summoned to court on a count of dangerous driving after he was caught by gardaí travelling at that speed on the M9 near Rutland, Bennekerry, Carlow on 5 June.
Solicitor Chris Hogan told Judge Geraldine Carthy that Mr Power was a champion runner who had been in Tulsa University, where he ran for the college, and that he had just returned home to Ireland on 1 June because he wanted to compete for his country.
He continued that he was returning home from training at the Irish camp and was driving his mother’s Mercedes when he was caught by the gardaí.
Mr Hogan said that Mr Power, Ballynamuck, Dungarvan, Co Waterford hadn’t been aware of how powerful the car was and didn’t realise how fast he was driving.
Mr Hogan continued that his client had never been in trouble before and that a dangerous driving conviction would mean a disqualification for him.
He added that Mr Power needed his licence to attend training sessions and to look for work and that since he was caught speeding he had completed a driving awareness course.
Mr Hogan described Mr Power as “a man on the cusp of his life”, whose ambition was to represent his country in athletics.
He also told Judge Carthy that whatever penalty points his client got would greatly affect his insurance premium.
Judge Carthy replied that if the defendant had lost control of the car while travelling at that speed, it would have had terrible consequences.
She also said that she was very mindful of the loss of life on Irish roads this year.
She said that she would adjourn sentencing so that she could make her decision and put the matter back until 19 September.
