Motorist who hit 120mph on Fife road avoids ban

 

 

A teenager caught driving at 120mph on a dual carriageway has avoided a ban. 

Darryl Hopwood (19) escaped being disqualified despite being clocked in Fife at 50mph over the speed limit in his Ford Focus. 

His excuse was that he was “running late” for a football match, even though the offence occurred at 6am. 

Hopwood, of Linn Mill, South Queensferry, appeared in the dock at Dunfermline Sheriff Court today. 

He admitted that on 19th August on the A92 between Crossgates and Cowdenbeath he drove a car at 120 miles per hour, in excess of the speed limit of 70mph. 

Depute fiscal Jane Rennie said the offence occurred at 6am and was detected via a speed camera. 

Defence solicitor Lene Doherty gave the sheriff three letters of reference on her client’s behalf. 

The explanation she gave was that Hopwood was going to play in a football match and was “running late”. 

She went on, “He appreciates the severity of the offence and accepts the speed was grossly excessive. He appreciates the risks of driving at that speed and has shown remorse.” 

She added that her client had no previous convictions and no penalty points.  

Appealing for him not to be banned, she said Hopwood was a product support worker with Astrak and his workplace is 30 miles from his home. 

“If he lost his licence it would mean a daily trip of three-and-a-half hours on public transport, which would be a major inconvenience,” said the solicitor. 

He also needed his licence to take family members to church, she added. 

“He’s a young man who made a mistake and has learned his lesson,” Ms Doherty concluded. 

Sheriff Craig McSherry said, “Usually in this court people driving in excess of 100mph can expect a period of disqualification. 

“It’s with some reluctance I’m not going to do that.” 

He added that Hopwood’s young age, clean driving licence and the fact the offence occurred at 6am when the road would have been relatively quiet were the reasons for that decision. 

Instead, Hopwood was fined £700 and had his licence endorsed with five penalty points.

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7 Responses

  1. Henry says:

    If they let one driver off with ban, they should let all drivers of with a band. What example is this going to show him and others. If he lost control of the car, it would of been game over for him. Running late to play in a football match is no excuse for speeding. Should of had the book throw at him to make an example to others. The inconvenience losing his licence should be the punishment. That would made him think twice one he was back on the road again. £700 and 5 points is nothing for 120mph.

  2. Katherine says:

    I wonder how much of an inconvenience a 120mph crash would have been ? 5 pounts and a fine ? Absolute joke really

  3. chic says:

    the idiot should have been banned and ordered to resit his driving test losing his licence would have been an inconveniance ,it would have been a bigger inconveniance if he had killed someone the pf should apeal the decision and get it took back to court

  4. lesley says:

    £700 is nothing to someone living at Linn Mill either

  5. Tom Wilson says:

    Totally inappropriate punishment , how are people going to learn not to break the rules if they don’t get punished at all. this is a joke sentence, and to say the road is quiet at this time of the morning , is total shit cause its very busy at this time. sounds like the sheriffs a family friend and been very lenient with this young man , absolute disgrace

  6. BRIAN MACFARLANE says:

    How many fitba matches are there at 6am pray tell.

  7. David Brown says:

    If he was riding a motorcycle doing 120 he would have been jailed! The law is a joke!!

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