Teenager banned for driving at 'colossal' speed in built-up area in midlands town

A young man was banned from driving for three years after being recorded doing a “colossal” speed in a built-up part of Tullamore in County Offaly.

The driver, Warren Cleary, aged 19, of Kilbride Street, Tullamore, appeared before the local District Court on a charge of dangerous driving.

The court was told he had been accused of dangerous driving at Clara Road, Tullamore on September 2 last because of his excessive speed.

Sergeant Richard Thornton told the court he was operating a checkpoint when a black Audi was recorded travelling at a speed of 136kph in a 50kph zone.

Sergeant Thornton said he arrested the man for dangerous driving and added that he had a previous conviction for driving without insurance dating from June 26 last and had been fined €500 for that offence.

The garda sergeant said the place where the speeding had been done was in a built-up area on the Clara Road near Knockowen Road and the time of the offence was 10.10pm.

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A guilty plea was entered on Mr Cleary's behalf by Patrick Martin, solicitor, who described his client as a single man, holder of a full licence, and who worked in construction.

Mr Martin added that the accused would be starting college in Limerick at the end of the month and did not have much familial support.

The speeding had been done on an occasion when he had been on his way to help a friend a short distance away.

He dropped everything to help her and the speeding had been done on a straight stretch of road and thankfully there was no accident.

“He totally accepts it was a colossal speed,” said Mr Martin.

The defendant had not been long in full-time employment and was paying for everything himself, including college and rent.

The solicitor suggested that his client would be willing to make a contribution to the court poor box, given time, and would also undertake a special driving course in Mullingar.

Judge Andrew Cody said that the speed the man was driving was “heading for three times the speed limit”.

“One-hundred-and-thirty-six is a huge speed on a motorway, let alone a built-up area at 10 past 10 at night,” Judge Cody stated.

The judge also noted that the offence had been committed after the same man had been convicted of driving without insurance in June.

“He's back out again within three months travelling over two-and-a-half times the speed limit.”

The judge said if anybody or anything was on the road he couldn't stop for hundreds of metres if he had to brake.

He said he was not going to reduce the charge before the court to a lesser one and imposed a fine of €1,000 along with a two-year disqualification from holding a driving licence.

Recognisances were fixed for an appeal.