"Man doing 100mph not deliberately speeding, says judge"

[Rotary Potato]

Just read this on the BBC News website and wondering if there is more to this story than is being reported here?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwywjjv4xz5o

The facts of the case seem to be that Mr Moron (no - really) was doing 100mph in a 60mph zone and got 5 penalty points and a £650 fine. The BBC News story infers that this is because the judge deemed that Mr Moron was not deliberately speeding.

[mickythefish]

Was he on a hoon?

[otolith]

Rotary Potato said:

Just read this on the BBC News website and wondering if there is more to this story than is being reported here?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwywjjv4xz5o

The facts of the case seem to be that Mr Moron (no - really) was doing 100mph in a 60mph zone and got 5 penalty points and a £650 fine. The BBC News story infers that this is because the judge deemed that Mr Moron was not deliberately speeding.

It's not clear from the report what happened;

District Judge Magill said in "normal circumstances" he would give Moron a £65 fine and three penalty points, but added: "That can’t happen here."

So he gave him 5 points and a £650 fine.

I think I would agree that someone doing the ton in a sixty because they are not paying due care and attention deserves a bigger penalty than someone who is paying full attention, but suspect that is not the judge's argument.

[otolith]

This is clearer.

https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern-ireland/ex...

Normally a speeding offence would be a fixed penalty and 3 points. But he was doing 100mph, at which point magically it becomes a more serious offence, for which he would normally be banned. But because he was rushing to pick his mother up from the airport and hasn't been caught before, the judge gave him five points and a big fine instead of a ban.

[Trif]

So he is either very inattentive or has significantly poor time keeping and happily took risks on the road to make up that time. But that is OK, because he didn't mean to break the law.


I'm with the those who would feel much more comfortable with those who were deliberately speeding in places where it can be done safely.



Anyway, unfortunate last name.

[kestral]

Non story.

This happens every day in the courts.

Very few people say to the court they were deliberately speeding.

[Simpo Two]

"You have a clear record and there was a reason why you were rushing. It’s not an excuse but at least there was a reason behind what you were doing," he said.

Judge uses judgement...!

[EmailAddress]

Add that to the list:

Needing a pooh
Late for airport run

[Aretnap]

In England this would very probably have been 6 points or a ban. But it was in Northern Ireland where English sentencing guidelines don't apply, and anecdotally Northern Irish courts are often less harsh on speeding than English ones are.

[hepy]

EmailAddress said:

Add that to the list:

Needing a pooh
Late for airport run

Rushing to the lodge….

[mac96]

I know this has some comic possibilities but I actually find it worrying that someone with so little understanding can be sitting on the bench. Glad he is not in England.

'Not realising how fast he was going' might be an extenuating circumstance if driving a few mph over the limit, but for 40mph over, it is an admission of dangerous driving. What else was he too stressed to notice? Junctions? Other traffic?

And the reason for that dangerous driving? Fetching Mum FROM the airport? No plane to miss then. No doubt had plenty of places to sit and wait for him, so he really wasn't in a rush.

TBH I have no problem with the driver trying any excuses that might work, and his driving may actually have been a conscious decision and perfectly safe, it's the judge's reaction I have an issue with!

[stichill99]

I had a friend who was driving a 996 turbo as a course car for a rally in Ireland and he was giving it full pelt on the motorway well into 3 figures when he was nabbed. As he is quite often in Ireland on business he was told by his lawyer to attend the court hearing for his speeding offence.
He told me that the days proceedings were like a comedy. All these Irish lads promising to be good boys in future.When it came to his case he said he had a bit of a joke with the judge who fined him £200 to be paid to the police benevolent fund! Not the worst country to be caught in by the sound of it!

[Alex_225]

Let's be honest, we've all exceeded the speed limit and I'm sure most know that in some cars it's extremely easy to do, he must have had a relatively believable excuse for why he's been complacent, although it may be just that, an excuse.

I think we'd agree there's a difference between 100mph through busy traffic, M25 and weaving between cars and complacently cruising at a much higher speed than he should.

Not condoning it at all but perhaps it was a reasonable judgement using some common sense.