A football matchday host who admitted speeding at 103mph on a Highland road has been banned from driving for 30 days.
Barrie Wilkins, a freelance radio presenter who works as match day host at Hibernian Football Club, was clocked going more than 40mph above the speed limit in his blue Mercedes on the A835 at Achnaclerach north of Garve.
Although he was initially charged with dangerous driving, Wilkins’ plea of guilty to a lesser speeding charge was accepted at a hearing at Inverness Sheriff Court.
Fiscal depute Naomi Duffy-Welsh told the court that the charge, which stated that on September 6 2020 Wilkins reached a speed of 103mph on a stretch of road where the limit was 60mph “speaks for itself”.
She told the court the offence happened at 11.45am and said: “The accused was detected speeding by police and was later cautioned and charged.”
Solicitor Graham Mann, for Wilkins, said his client would only have been travelling at 103mph “for a very short time” and added that at the time of the incident “there weren’t any other road users” in the vicinity.
Road ban will affect speeder’s work
He told the court Wilkins’ ability to work, and also to provide employment opportunities to others, would be affected by any disqualification, as well as his ability to provide help to his mother who had undergone a hip replacement operation.
Sheriff David Nicolson told Wilkins: “In this case, with the speed of 103mph in a 60mph section, the court’s view is that the discretionary disqualification is required here – I’m going to disqualify you for 30 days.”
He also fined him £300.
