The director of a UK haulage company has avoided a driving disqualification, after being convicted of careless driving in Kerry.
56-year-old Gary Kirkby of Maberley View, Wavertree, Liverpool, appeared in Tralee District Court recently before Judge Mark O’Connell.
He initially had been charged with dangerous driving, after being caught speeding on the N21 between Castleisland and Abbeyfeale.
The court heard that gardaí had set up a routine speed checkpoint on the N21 Tralee to Limerick road at Tooreenmore, Knocknagoshel, on 12th June this year.
Gardaí clocked a black Audi going past them at 166 km/h; the speed limit for that stretch is 100 km/h.
The driver of the car, Mr Kirkby, was pursued and stopped at Killally, where he was arrested.
He faced a charge of dangerous driving arising from this incident.
Mr Kirkby’s solicitor, Brendan Ahern, told the court that he accepts his client was travelling at a very high speed and there was no excuse.
Mr Ahern said his client generally drives with cruise control, but he had to brake suddenly earlier on his journey.
This had switched off the cruise control, and he had forgotten to switch it back on, leading him to drive at speed by accident.
Mr Ahern said his client is very familiar with the roads in Ireland as he was visiting family from the UK, that he has his own haulage company with over 30 employees.
He said he is heavily reliant on his licence, and asked him not to disqualify Mr Kirkby from driving.
Judge Mark O’Connell said he noted Mr Kirkby’s guilty plea, but 166 km/h is over 100 mph in “old money”, and he did not buy his story.
He convicted him of a lesser charge of careless driving rather than dangerous driving, fined him €500, and did not disqualify him from driving.
