Teenager who drove past Buncrana filling station at 174kph is banned for two years

A teenage driver who was caught travelling at dangerously excessive speed past a filling station on the outskirts of Buncrana has been banned for two years, after a court heard she was clocked at 174 kilometres per hour in an 80kph zone.

Erin Gill, of 171 Dunstable Road, Caddington, Luton, appeared before Buncrana District Court to face a charge of dangerous driving.

The court heard that the incident occurred late at night on Sunday, February 8, 2026, when Gardaí detected her high-powered Mercedes car travelling at more than double the speed limit.

The 19-year-old defendant lives in the UK but regularly travels to Inishowen, as her mother is from Culdaff.

Judge Emile Daly refused an application by the defence to have the charge reduced to careless driving, stating that the speed involved was far too excessive to warrant leniency.

The judge emphasised the seriousness of the offence, warning of the potentially fatal consequences of such behaviour on the roads.

“There are people being killed on our roads because of this sort of speed. This is excessive speed,” Judge Daly warned.

Sergeant Conor Mulkerns outlined the facts of the case, explaining that at approximately 11.52pm, Garda Thomas Duggan was operating a speed check in the townland of Ludden, on the outskirts of Buncrana.

During the operation, he detected a vehicle travelling out of the town in the direction of Burnfoot at a speed of 174 kilometres per hour, which is more than 108 miles per hour.

The court was told that the vehicle passed a 24-hour filling station that was open at the time, in an area where there were also residential properties and a licensed premises nearby.

Gardaí subsequently stopped the vehicle, which was described as a high-powered Mercedes, and identified the driver as Ms Gill. The court heard that she has no previous convictions.

Defence solicitor Ciaran MacLochlainn told the court that his client had travelled over from England to attend the hearing in Buncrana and was accompanied by her parents.

He said she had been fully cooperative with Gardaí on the night in question and confirmed that there was no evidence of any alcohol or drugs in her system.

Mr MacLochlainn argued that while the speed was clearly excessive, the case was essentially one of speeding rather than dangerous driving. He noted that the offence took place in the early hours of the morning when there was no other traffic on the road.

He also informed the court that Gardaí had seized the vehicle, which is owned by Ms Gill’s father’s company, and that an undertaking had already been given that she would not drive in Ireland for a period of two years in order to have the vehicle returned.

The solicitor further explained that Ms Gill works for her father’s transport company, where she earns approximately €500 per week driving an escort vehicle for lorries. He warned that a conviction would have serious consequences for her employment, as authorities in Ireland would notify the DVLA in the UK, resulting in a driving ban there as well.

“If you convict her, she will be disqualified from driving for two years and she’ll lose her job,” Mr MacLochlainn told the judge, adding that there was effectively already a two-year disqualification in place through the undertaking given to the court.

Mr MacLochlainn said his client deeply regretted her actions and understood the potential long-term impact of a conviction, including possible difficulties with future travel to countries such as Australia, Canada, or New Zealand.

However, after hearing all of the evidence, Judge Daly said she could not accept the argument to reduce the charge. “I’m not going to reduce it; it’s too fast,” she said, reiterating her concern about the dangers posed by such extreme speeds.

The judge proceeded to convict Ms Gill of dangerous driving, imposing a mandatory two-year disqualification from driving along with a fine of €400.

Ms Gill was visibly upset in court, and was in tears as the disqualification was imposed.