Driver banned for 18 months for 44mph in a 25mph zone
Monday 27th December 2010, 2:29PM GMT.
AN AIRCRAFT engineer who drove at 19mph over the speed limit was banned from driving for 18 months when he appeared in the Magistrate’s Court.
John Donnelly, of Les Brins, George Road, St Peter Port, admitted driving through a police speed check at 44mph in 25mph zone at South Side, St Sampson’s at 1.20am.
In April last year, Mr Donnelly had been banned from driving for 15 months when he admitted dangerous driving on ‘a Kev run’.
Judge Cherry McMillen told the defendant that he had been back on the road for only four months when he had offended again and it was clear that he had not learnt his lesson.
She ordered that his driving licence would be revoked, meaning he will have to learn to drive again in 18 months’ time. A £200 fine was also imposed.
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Judge Cherry for Chief Minister
Let’s make 2011 the year we DOUBLE the sentence on every repeat offender
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He should have learnt that the police are catching more speeders than drug barons on our beautiful island. Too scared I reckon.
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Just a thought, why not confiscate their cars and get them crushed when they offend ! Bit more of a deterrent and also reduces traffic on the roads double win :-)
Cheers
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It’s about time a realistic punishment was dealt out. Re-taking the driving test at the offenders’ expense should make a few others think twice. I hope that includes the “theory exam” and at least 20 hours of tuition … ?
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18 months ban for doing 44mph is an absolute joke.
3 months ban would have been ample. As someone posted earlier it seems our wonderful Police force are better equipped to deal with speeding than catching real criminals – drug dealers, thieves, etc.
As for the comments about crushing cars – behave yourself.
I never knew i had been blessed in living in an Island full of Saints.
It’s amazing we need a Police force at all!
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Speeding kills.
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Maverick
You’ve got to be cruel to be kind.A three month ban would possibly have led him to speed yet again when he’s back on the road
If he believes he might get even more than eighteen months next time he’ll be more careful
Saint Ray
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Mad Guern,
Not so mad eh?
I fully concur with your solution. I might also add that they be made to watch the crushing of their beloved machine.
They`d soon learn a lesson when a couple of thousand pounds worth of machinery is taken from them.
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Maverick, I’m inclined to agree about the sentence. I agree with what the Magistrate said about not learning his lesson but I still think he can consider himself pretty hard done by.
Can’t help but think she was influenced by the public backlash from the headline case last month.
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Maverick / nocon – crushing vehicles would be a bit of a waste. Why not auction them off and the money either given to charity or used on public services?
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Scarlet P – not quite sure why you feel that Mr Donnelly has ‘been hard done by’ in respect of the sentence? He was convicted less than 2 years ago for dangerous driving which as far as I am aware is a charge levied for speeds more than double the limit. Just because the speed he was recorded at was 6 miles an hour less than the dd level doesn’t take away from the fact that he clearly has no regard for others’ safety. I applaud Magistrate Cherry’s stance and hope there is more to come – as for the comments regarding police not bothering with drug dealers and just targeting drivers you obviously have no idea of police strategies which have to take into account ALL areas of law breaking – just because the Press reports speeding convictions more regularly (because these cases are easier to bring to a conclusion swiftly) doesn’t mean that the Police ignore other major crime.
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18 months? Excellent. People are going on about catching real criminals, like drug pushers etc. Yep, I agree but have a tosser like that clip my child with his chunk of metal and I know which one I would be targeting. It’s not just about the speed though. A tiny Island like this needs some skill to drive around safely but the police seem to focus on speed, speed, speed. They should be making them not take their test again but getting them on advanced driving courses or one day sessions or through the media. Explain to them what safe driving is. It works. Also a good idea to use shocking adverts. Real shockers and not the weak, isipid efforts.
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I’m not against the principle of what the Magistrate did, Annie. I just can’t help but wonder if the same sentence would’ve been handed out before the recent headline case and the subsequent backlash.
If my speculation (and it’s only speculation I admit) is correct then his punishment has in effect been influenced by someone else’s crime. That is wrong – he should only be punished for what he has done.
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I support longer suspensions for repeat offenders because I hold the view that the only way to kerb speeding in Guernsey is to suspend these people from driving. Life has taught me that only serious punishment has any hope of solving this problem. Fines mean nothing to most people today and if they are heavy there is always time to pay.It is only the loss of a licence that spoils their fun. A month off the roads is nothing for 51mph and over. Someone gives them a lift for that time. I can’t see legalized car crushing ever being a sentencing option so it’s down to fines and suspensions. Fines seem to have little effect so start with 3 months off the road for first offence and double it after that. Anyone driving over 70mph treat them like a drink driver and give them 3 years off -they are in reality far more dangerous than your average slow drunk driver who is marginally over the limit. Look at accident statistics in Guernsey – speed causes most bad accidents and fatals not drunken driving. Having said that do not mistake me for having sympathy for drink drivers – it’s just that I see so much speeding. The police would do well to concentrate more often on the inner roads of Guernsey not just the coasts and longer open roads. Another consideration might be to prosecute closer to the limit – you hardly ever see anyone summoned for less than 50mph or 40 in the lower limit areas.
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ray – i dont see how you can justify 18 months off the road for 44 in a 25 even though this is his second offence he served his punishment for that everyone goes over the speed limit sometimes you cant say you dont and if you do you are lying
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Mac, you have to be going over 41MPH in a 25MPH zone to be taken off the roads (first offence, only a fine can be given), you have to be going over 51MPH in a 35MPH zone to be taken off the roads (first offence, only a fine can be given).
I think the Police should be in Town catching drug users, and knife crime. Rather than wasting it sitting in a warm cosy car drinking a mug of coffee trying to find somebody going over the speed limit.
The coast road should be increased to 45MPH, this way we can get to places much quicker.
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Ray
You really do talk nonsense
Make a new years resolution and get a grip
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Mr G, sense at last. My Jag oils up it’s plugs in just a few hundred miles driving over here at 25 or 35. It’s about time the Police admitted that sometimes cars like mine need a blow out to keep the engine healthy. And another thing, my Jag is more eco friendly at a higher and constant speed. So lets have a 45mph speed limit around the coast but I would restrict it to V8 engines as they need it, not buzzy Subarus that the boy racers drive. I would also make main roads just that, main roads and cut out all the traffic lights, unloading bays, road humps, filters on the main roads.
Also and tongue in cheek, I would make it an offence to allow people out of side roads when it isn’t their turn. The yellow line is there for a reason, it means give way, it doesn’t mean filter.
Hip hip
Joe
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Mr G:
“The coast road should be increased to 45MPH, this way we can get to places much quicker.”
This is Guernsey for goodness’ sake, NO WHERE takes long to get to, even if we all did only 25mph!
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Joe
Why on Earth did you buy such an impractical car for the island then?
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PB
If you’re offering up your neck I might be persuaded to take your advice
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Janet, I think we’d get places slightly quicker if we drove faster. Also, all cars are impractical for the island, your clutch will need replacing more often here per mile than in the UK.
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I regularly go over 55 MPH, if my car can do it and I think it’s a long, straight, clear road then why shouldn’t I?
The police, if they really must catch speeders, should be on the lookout around populous areas during the day, or town on a weekend rather than Vazon coast road or L’Ancresse straight or by the Airport or L’Eree. It’s just ridiculous.
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Re Janets comment regarding impractical cars – I could be mistaken but 99% of cars in Guernsey could break the speed limit in 1st gear.
Are you suggesting we all buy cars with a 1 speed gearbox?
The local speed limits need reviewing! 25 and 35mph limits were fine in the days of Model T Fords but fortunately technology moves on – unlike a large percentage of the population of this island still living in the dark ages!.
No one on here is saying the person was correct in breaking the speed limit but the punishment must fit the crime. It’s seem’s only a matter of time before someone suggests cutting off speeding drivers right legs!!
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this comment goes to maverick. You are obviously a repeat offender and a fellow kev I think the punishment is,nt long enough
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Morris Fletcher
To answer your post, sorry to dissapoint you but no i am not a repeat offender and the chances of me being regarded as a Kev unfortunately went along with my hair many years ago.
You state that the punishment is not long enough and that is your view to which you are perfectly entitled, mine is that the punishment was excessive for doing something that you, i and many others have done in this island – breaking the 25mph speed limit.
Anyone saying that they haven’t are not being truthful.
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Mr G.
Fines AND suspensions are not dictated by law as you seem to suggest. The policy of a cut off point for speeding offenders is at the Magistrates disgression. Any circumstance in the particular case could change that cut off line.
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