Motorist clocked at 168km/h coming out of village on N11

JOHN DOYLE (24) of 26 Woodview Drive, Adamstown was clocked travelling at 168 km/h per hour as he left Oylegate on February 10 last year.

He attended the District Court in Gorey to plead guilty to careless driving on the occasion in response to a summons initiated by the traffic corps.

Garda Cathal Burke recalled in court how the defendant’s vehicle accelerated away from the 50 km/h zone in Oylegate on the night in question.

As the garda followed, Doyle overtook other vehicles, causing oncoming traffic to take avoiding action.

Judge Gerard Haughton translated the 168 km/h figure to 105 miles per hour.

Defending solicitor Lana Doherty told him that the car turned out to belong to the defendant’s mother.

Doyle had no previous conviction, Ms Doherty stressed.

He worked night shifts from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. in a bakery 15 kilometres from home, she said, and he needed his licence for the drive to work.

Ms Doherty reckoned that the accused had learned a very sharp lesson.

He pleaded guilty to careless driving, earning himself €1,000 in fines.

The judge pointed out that the incident will affect his insurance premium for years and if he re-offends within the coming three years, then nothing will save him from disqualification.