A biker who went racing along a Highland road at almost two and a half times the legal speed limit was banned from driving for six months yesterday.
Offshore rope access superviser Michael Brown, 36, who earns up to £4,000 a month was also fined £2,000 after admitting driving carelessly on the A890 near Achnasheen on May 15 last year and travelling at speeds of over 130mph.
He was originally charged with dangerous driving.
Sheriff Margaret Neilson criticised fiscal depute Fiona Murray for accepting a plea to the reduced charge and added: “It is astonishing that a plea to careless driving was accepted.
“My hands are tied with sentencing.”
A dangerous driving charge automatically attracts a minimum one year disqualification and a mandatory resitting of an extended driving test. Motorists can also be jailed for that offence.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that Brown was one of six bikers travelling in convoy on the road once described by Sheriff Neilson’s colleague, Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood as “the most notorious speed trap in the Highland which is a magnet for bikers”.
Two other bikers have since been dealt with by the court and both pleaded guilty to careless driving on those occasions.
The court was told that the leader of the pack of bikers was travelling at 138mph when an unmarked police car clocked them on the 60mph single carriageway stretch.
The bikers travelled for more than a mile at speeds of between 130mph and 138mph before police caught up with them at Ledgowan House.
Mrs Murray said: “The road was dry, traffic was light but there were cars parked in lay-bys.”
Sheriff Neilson noted that Brown had two previous convictions for careless driving which both attracted three-month bans.
The father of two from Old Milnafua Road, Alness, also had a speeding conviction.
The sheriff added: “Obviously he has not learned his lesson.”
Defence solicitor Clare Russell, who said those offences also involved his motor bike, added: “He is not intending to ride a bike again. He has since sold it.”