Kildare driver banned after turning himself in for speeding

“HE has to lose his licence or his freedom,” said the judge to the solicitor of a man convicted of doing 178kph in a 100kph zone, and then failing to stop.

Christopher Wilson (22), Moneen View, The Hollands, Athy appeared in Athy District Court charged with dangerous driving on the N78 AT Gallows Hill, Athy on 25 November last.

“Judge, it was at 1.50am, he failed to stop, and was doing huge speeds – 178kph on the N78,” confirmed Sergeant Dave Hanrahan.

“But he did come to the station later to apologise,” offered the sergeant.

“He put his hands up and went to the garda station,” said defending solicitor Seamus Boyle.

“He had got away, and the guards will confirm that nobody was put in harms way,” chanced Mr Boyle.

“He got away?” said a surprised Judge Desmond Zaidan.

“Assuming then, that he didn’t call into the garda station, would you have been able to arrest him?” asked the judge.

“It’s very likely he would’ve got away with it,” confirmed the sergeant.

“He did go into the garda station and he had a right talking to,” said Mr Boyle.

“When he met the garda again this morning, he said this to him,” he added.

“What speed did they say I was doing?” asked the defendant.

“The guards have some very sophisticated machines,” said the judge to him, and reminded him again that it was recorded at 178kph.

“Nothing wrong with a courteous speeder,” smiled the judge.

“Have you learned your lesson?” Mr Boyle asked his client.

“I have,” said Mr Wilson.

“I have to put him off the road,” said the judge to Mr Boyle.

“In this sort of case Irish law is gone mad, and gardaí are now being arrested for chasing such perpetrators,” he said, referring to the recent case of a Dublin garda last month getting a two year ban for chasing masked scramblers.

“Where are you going to draw the line?” asked the judge. “If they did, they (gardaí) could end up with the Garda Ombudsman, or whatever it’s called nowadays.

“If another car came by, or you had a blow out at these speeds you’d be in a wheelchair.

“Too many people are getting killed on the roads. If you took your eyes off the road for a split second … and those phones are a killer, hands free or not, they’re a killer. I know this as a judge where you’d see a text was being sent at the time a person was killed on the road, but I won’t send you to jail because you’ve pleaded guilty.”

The judge disqualified Mr Wilson for two years and fined him €500 for the dangerous driving conviction. He did allow the defendant a chance to appeal, and set his bond to do so at €500.