'Bad news' no excuse for driving at 160km/h, judge tells Cork driver
A Cork motorist who was caught driving at 160 km/h in a 100km/h zone was told by a judge that bad news was no excuse for behaving in a reckless manner.
Matthew O'Brien, aged 19, of Patrick's Hill in Cork City, appeared before Mallow District Court charged with dangerous driving.
Garda Deirdre Barrett told the court that on June 14, 2024, she was carrying out a speed check on the Cork to Mallow road at 7.50pm. Garda Barrett said the road surface was wet after a recent shower of rain when she observed a blue BMW 1 Series car heading north towards her in the direction of Mallow.
Garda Barrett said the car's right indicator was flashing and she recorded the speed of the vehicle at 160km/h where the speed limit was 100km/h.
The car was pulled over and the driver identified as Matthew O'Brien. Mr O'Brien told Garda Barrett he was en-route to Mallow to meet with some friends and have something to eat.
Defence solicitor David O'Meara said his client had been diagnosed with cancer in his right knee a few weeks before the incident, and the diagnosis was preoccupying him.
He said Mr O'Brien had since had an operation and would be on crutches until August as a result. He said Mr O'Brien had no previous convictions, was fully cooperative and clearly had a lot on his mind at the time. He also provided a certificate to the court to show Mr O'Brien had since completed an advanced driving course.
Judge Colm Roberts said it was unfortunately common for young men to drive too fast and he could not reduce the charge from dangerous to careless driving given the circumstances. The judge said: 'For his own safety and the safety of others he needs to be disqualified. This behaviour has to be understood to be not tolerable.
'I can't go with the idea that if you get bad news you can behave in a reckless manner. The evidence is that he was going too fast to meet his friends and I wouldn't be doing him any favours by postponing a disqualification.'
The judge said the best way to deal with the matter was for Mr O'Brien to 'learn his lesson early and for the rest of his life'.
Mr O'Brien was disqualified for the mandatory period of two years on a first offence.
This article is funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme
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