A motorist who recorded what is thought to be one of the highest speeds ever to come before a court in Northern Ireland has been banned from driving for a year after being convicted of dangerous driving.
And the court was also told how the same driver had been previously caught doing 100mph.
Andrew Robert Steele, 30, of Bryan Street in Larne, zoomed past a police car at 132mph on the A8 dual-carriageway – a 70mph zone near the town – at 4.20pm on May 1.
He admitted a charge of exceeding a 70mph speed limit but had contested a second charge of dangerous driving relating to the same incident.
A prosecutor told Antrim Magistrates' Court, sitting in Ballymena, a police vehicle “moved out of the way” when Steele's car approached from behind.
When the police officers followed the vehicle they noted that their speed at one point was recorded as 132mph.
Footage of the incident was shown to District Judge Nigel Broderick.
A defence lawyer for Steele said his client’s driving was “obviously far too fast”.
Judge Broderick said he defendant's speed had been “unbelievable”.
Convicting the defendant of dangerous driving the judge asked: “Do you think that anyone doing 132mph would be in control of a vehicle if something untoward happened, for example an R driver doing 45mph.”
"You have to expect everything on the road,” he added.
The judge said it was “quite clear” from the footage that it had been an “extremely excessive speed”.
Judge Broderick said he had “no hesitation” in convicting the defendant of dangerous driving.
The court heard Steele had previously been caught doing 100mph and the judge said: “He didn't learn his lesson then.”
He then banned the defendant from driving for a year and fined him £400.
Steele will now have to re-sit his driving test in order to get back on the road.The defendant had appeal bail in the sum of £500 fixed but the judge said he was not allowing to get behind the wheel pending the outcome of that appeal.
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