Raphoe man caught doing 175km/h on National Slowdown Day avoids ban

A Raphoe man caught driving at 175km/h on National Slowdown Day has been spared a driving ban.

Jack McConnell was fined €1,000 for the incident on the N15 at Colehill, Newtowncunningham.

Gardai were conducting a speed check at 10.45pm on the N15, a road governed by a speed limit of 100km/h, when they clocked McConnell driving at 175km/h.

At Letterkenny District Court, Judge Emile Daly remarked that this was a “significant speed and in an area that every effort has been made by every agency that exists for speed to be reduced”.

The 24-year-old McConnell, of Dromore, Raphoe, was charged with dangerous driving, which carries an automatic driving disqualification. However, his solicitor, Mr Frank Dorrian, asked if the court would consider a reduction to a charge of careless driving.

Inspector McDaid said there was “nobody else endangered other than himself”, but said he was “in your hands” when Judge Daly asked what the State’s position was in relation to a reduction of the charge.

Mr Dorrian told the court that McConnell had been “beset by bereavement” at the time and several people around him had “recently departed”. On the night in question, McConnell was coming from the wake of a neighbour.

“Perhaps that distracted his attention from his otherwise impeccable behaviour,” Mr Dorrian said, adding that there was a reference from McConnell’s employer “which speaks extremely highly of him”.

Judge Daly again asked what the State’s position was and Inspector McDaid said the accused had no penalty points, had not come to adverse attention since and “I think he has learned a lesson”.

Judge Daly said ahead of was inclined not to accede to a reduction, but would do so on this occasion.

“This is very much on the upper end of what would be regarded as careless driving,” Judge Daly said. “I don’t want the message going out to say that this is an acceptable level of speed because it is not - regardless of circumstances.

“Does he want to end up resulting in another wake?”

McConnell, dressed in a grey suit and tie, was accompanied by his parents to court.

Juge Daly convicted McConnell of careless driving and fined him €1,000, allowing six months to pay.