Two drivers jailed for speeding at 140mph

**Bangyai** · 31-10-2010, 01:43 PM

Two motorists who drove their cars at speeds of up to 140mph along a busy dual carriageway have been jailed after a judge told them it was only "blind luck" that nobody had been killed

Published: 9:00PM BST 30 Oct 2010

Judge Simon Coltart told them their driving was the most appalling he had ever seen and that it was only blind luck nobody was killed Photo: GETTY

Police camera footage shows the pair swerving in and out of other vehicles, veering wildly as they switch lanes, keeping their speed at between 130mph to 140mph for three minutes.

They were eventually stopped after a motorcycle police officer, who had filmed them with his helmet camera, was able to pull alongside them and signal for them to stop.

Daniel Carter, 27, who was driving a £36,000 Nissan Skyline and friend Austen Constantinou, 28, in a Nissan Primera saloon, were pulled over on the A24, near Horsham, West Sussex.
The pair, from East Grinstead, were found guilty of dangerous driving following a trial earlier this year and were sentenced last week, at Lewes Crown Court.
Judge Simon Coltart told them their driving was the most appalling he had ever seen and that it was only blind luck nobody was killed.
He said he was concerned that Carter still seemed not to realise how close he had come to killing someone.
He said: "If you drive at 135mph and hit someone then that means death. That person is dead.
"He does not accept he has done anything wrong. He just does not accept it was dangerous driving.
"Of course he regrets his position now. We would all regret our position if we were facing a custodial sentence. But I do not think he understands why he was so dangerous.
"His driving was not a moment. It was more than three minutes. It was appalling driving which could have had the most horrific consequences."
He jailed Carter for six months and Constantinou for four.
Both men were bailed and will return to the same court on Wednesday to start their sentences.
The Judge added: "Mr Constantinou seems to accept the seriousness of this now.
"But initially neither of you accepted what you were doing was dangerous driving. This is a matter I fail to understand.
"It was not just speed. It was extremely high speed on both of your parts and also driving very close together.
"Thankfully this is not a case of causing death by dangerous driving."
Neither man had any previous convictions.
They were both banned from driving for a year and each ordered to pay £3,400 costs.
The court heard Carter is now trying to sell his high-performance vehicle for £22,000.
Sergeant Tony Crisp, from the Sussex Police, said: "It is very disappointing these two young men were willing to risk their lives and the lives of those around them and their careers, just to see how fast their vehicles would go on a public road.
"They would simply not have survived a crash at those speeds and nor would any other person in their path.
"We are committed to reducing the number of people that are killed and seriously injured on the roads of Sussex, and whilst we would prefer to do this by advising and educating drivers, those drivers who are intentionally willing to put themselves and others in danger can expect to be dealt with robustly."
The offence occurred at around midday on a Saturday in May 2009.

Two drivers jailed for speeding at 140mph - Telegraph

**Bangyai** · 31-10-2010, 01:46 PM

Originally Posted by Bangyai

They were eventually stopped after a motorcycle police officer, who had filmed them with his helmet camera, was able to pull alongside them and signal for them to stop.

Credit to the copper. I know that road and you would need some balls to ride alongside someone at 140 mph on a motorcycle to tap on their window.

Probably got 'em at a roundabout.

**Davis Knowlton** · 31-10-2010, 01:56 PM

Got off easy. The sentence in the US would have been far more severe.

**sues2** · 31-10-2010, 02:14 PM

The sentence seems a bit harsh.

**Bettyboo** · 31-10-2010, 02:20 PM

I think you need more facts here.

If it was 5a.m. on empty roads, whilst still against the law and stupid, it would be different from bank holiday monday prime time on packed roads, etc.

The comments from the judge and police seem extreme whilst being unable to include specifics of dangerous events, other innocent people involved, etc.

More details required (the link is too bloody slow to wait for).

**Davis Knowlton** · 31-10-2010, 02:30 PM

^Article says 'mid-day on a Saturday in May with them veering in and around other cars on the highway'.

**Jesus Jones** · 31-10-2010, 02:32 PM

Originally Posted by sues2

The sentence seems a bit harsh.

Very stupid of them but agreed when you consider the the actions of the teens in the other thread for beating the old man!

**Jesus Jones** · 31-10-2010, 02:35 PM

I don't how the judges come to their decisions.

I was ordered to do 100 hours community service and given 8 points on my license for driving my car from a garage to the insurance company which was just a few hundred yards away.

I had no previous convictions.

**Bettyboo** · 31-10-2010, 02:35 PM

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

^Article says 'mid-day on a Saturday in May with them veering in and around other cars on the highway'.

Thank you.

In which case, the driving was wreckless and the judge was probably spot on.

**Bettyboo** · 31-10-2010, 02:41 PM

Many moons ago, when I was but a kid... I was caught by a helicopter camera doing 135mph on an entirely empty road (M5 I think) in the early hours of the morning. The police said I had not been a danger to any other road user because there weren't any; when I saw traffic ahead, I slowed to 'normal' motorway speeds, or thereabouts. The judge took me license for a year and gave me a 500 pound fine (quite a lot in those days).

It sounds like these two drove wrecklessly around and between other road users on a busy road which is unacceptable.

**Davis Knowlton** · 31-10-2010, 02:44 PM

^Now your sentence sounds a bit harsh to me; but that is about what you would get in the US. Plus mandatory traffic school and a full retest before you got your license back.

**dirtydog** · 31-10-2010, 02:48 PM

They could have used one of my photos

**Stinky** · 31-10-2010, 02:49 PM

I once got up 175mph on a Yamaha 1000exup, in full view of the Police with no consequences whatsoever... just got to love those German autobahns ain't ya

sabaii sabaii · 31-10-2010, 03:20 PM

Originally Posted by Jesus Jones

I don't how the judges come to their decisions. I was ordered to do 100 hours community service and given 8 points on my license for driving my car from a garage to the insurance company which was just a few hundred yards away.

I can see the judges reasoning here.
For being too fucking idle to walk a couple of hundred yards, he's made you work for 100 hours
Sounds fair

**harrybarracuda** · 31-10-2010, 03:35 PM

I was being driven back to London on this very road once, sick as a parrot with the flu, when I heard my g/f say "SHIT!" and saw this blur pass by me on the passenger side on the hard shoulder. We were travelling at the speed limit at the time. I looked up in time to see the silly f*cker, in a 3 litre Granada, fishtailing and then disappear up an embankment and up into the air, followed by a cloud of smoke and glass when he landed.

We pulled over and walked up the slip road to find said idiot still in his (slightly tattered) vehicle with a large hole in his forehead bleeding profusely. It was only my illness that stopped me adding a few more.

When the police asked me for a statement, they only took a few lines and said "that's fine - we have the skidmarks to see how fast this moron was going" and left me to it.

Pricks like this deserve jail.

Good for you, judge. Shame you aren't doing more "cretinous yob" cases.

**Jesus Jones** · 31-10-2010, 03:36 PM

Originally Posted by sabaii sabaii

Originally Posted by Jesus Jones

I don't how the judges come to their decisions. I was ordered to do 100 hours community service and given 8 points on my license for driving my car from a garage to the insurance company which was just a few hundred yards away.

I can see the judges reasoning here.
For being too fucking idle to walk a couple of hundred yards, he's made you work for 100 hours
Sounds fair

Diddums! Did i not join in in your "who's the biggest arse hole thread?"

**genghis61** · 31-10-2010, 03:37 PM

that would be wreck-less as they didn't have an accident

similar speeds from New Zealand but this one got away

Motorcyclist 'roared past at 236kmh'
Taranaki Daily News 29 October 2010
Taranaki police have reacted angrily after a motorcyclist roared past them doing 236kmh yesterday.
A patrol clocked the speedster on SH3, between Hawera and Normanby, about 2.10pm.
Attempts to catch the rider were unsuccessful.
Taranaki rural area commander Inspector Frank Grant said the motorcyclist's speed was "ridiculous".
"There was no way our vehicles could accelerate to catch a vehicle at that speed."
There was no excuse for that speed on a public road, he said.
"Not only do they put themselves in danger but they put other road users lives at risk as well.
"The bike was fast approaching a small populated community. There was no way they would have been able to stop for any hazard."
Mr Grant said if police caught the rider he would lose his licence instantly.

*******

Conversions:
140mph = 225mph
236km/h =147mph

**Jesus Jones** · 31-10-2010, 03:37 PM

Originally Posted by sabaii sabaii

Originally Posted by Jesus Jones

I don't how the judges come to their decisions. I was ordered to do 100 hours community service and given 8 points on my license for driving my car from a garage to the insurance company which was just a few hundred yards away.

I can see the judges reasoning here.
For being too fucking idle to walk a couple of hundred yards, he's made you work for 100 hours
Sounds fair

Diddums! Did i not join in in your "who's the biggest arse hole thread?"

Maybe you answered your own petty question on your own petty thread!

**Davis Knowlton** · 31-10-2010, 03:42 PM

^^Hard to imagine that speed on a bike - even a small rock in the road would send you airborne. I once hit a large cobra that was crossing the road at about a third of that speed, and had a bitch of a time keeping the bike on the road - it was also a very old bike, with not too flexible steering.

**harrybarracuda** · 31-10-2010, 03:48 PM

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

^^Hard to imagine that speed on a bike - even a small rock in the road would send you airborne.

I wouldn't actually give much of a shit, except for the fact that a bike travelling at that speed could wreak havoc.

If people want to get the thrill of high speed driving or riding, go racing for f**k's sake, there's plenty of places to do it.

Thinking of it, Frank Williams should stand up (excuse the pun) and make a case against racing on public roads in non-racing vehicles.

After all, he's had to have his arse wiped by someone else since 1986 because of it.

**Stinky** · 31-10-2010, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

^^Hard to imagine that speed on a bike - even a small rock in the road would send you airborne.

I wouldn't actually give much of a shit, except for the fact that a bike travelling at that speed could wreak havoc.

If people want to get the thrill of high speed driving or riding, go racing for f**k's sake, there's plenty of places to do it.

Yeah, there called autobahns

**Thormaturge** · 31-10-2010, 03:51 PM

I just wonder what speed these two were doing when they first noticed the police, and to what extent they were trying to outrun the cop.

**Davis Knowlton** · 31-10-2010, 03:54 PM

^Didn't sound like that - once the motorcycle cop caught up with them and signaled them to pull over, they complied. Just idiots, racing each other in their cool cars with total disregard for everyone else on the road.

**keda** · 31-10-2010, 04:00 PM

I once hit 130mph for a few seconds burning in a new car on a clear motorway and must say it was absolute lunacy and no fun at all and never again. Doesn't take much at those speeds to send you off in all directions at once. 80 is fast enough for anywhere.

Never been done for speeding though, except in France on the morning of 12 Oct '82 but that doesn't count because when I offered to pay in Dutch notes they told me to bugger off.

**Thetyim** · 31-10-2010, 04:17 PM

Originally Posted by sues2

The sentence seems a bit harsh.

There is a big difference between speeding and racing.
Add in the time of day and these two deserve everything the judge throws at them

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