Abdullah Qureshi convicted of driving 163km/h on Alfords Point Rd

A Condell Park man has copped a whopping fine after he was caught travelling double the speed limit in Sydney’s south with two passengers in the car.

Abdullah Qureshi was charged with exceeding the speed limit by more than 45km/h and elected to bring the matter to Sutherland Local Court on Thursday. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

A P-plater has been fined $2200 after he sought leniency in court for driving double the speed limit when he was detected travelling 163km/h in a 80km/h zone.

Abdullah Aamir Qureshi, 19, was charged with exceeding the speed limit by more than 45km/h and elected to bring the matter to Sutherland Local Court on Thursday.

The court heard a police officer detected Qureshi travelling 163km/h along Alfords Point Road about 11pm on January 14. Two passengers were also in the car.

Qureshi was suspended from driving immediately and he has been off the road for five months and one week with three weeks left before he can reapply for his licence.

Qureshi’s lawyer Oussama Elfawal conceded his client’s speed was “very significant” and the matter was serious.

Abdullah Qureshi (left) with defence lawyer Oussama Elfawal (right) leaving court. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

Mr Elfawal submitted his client should be placed on a good behaviour bond for nine months, without conviction, with the conditions to not incur any further demerit points or infringements.

He submitted his client could be ordered to pay a fine and then he would “move on” but a bond would “hang over his head” and act as a deterrent, adding if Qureshi breached the order he would be held accountable.

Qureshi was fined and convicted in Sutherland Local Court.

The court heard Qureshi was studying and working two jobs, with Mr Elfawal submitting his client was a young man with no criminal history but did concede he had been previously fined for using a mobile phone.

Mr Elfawal also submitted Qureshi had good prospects of rehabilitation after completing the traffic offenders program where he gained insight and was unlikely to reoffend.

Magistrate Philip Stewart said the speeding offence was serious and made even worse given Qureshi had two passengers in the car.

He disagreed a bond would act as a better punishment and said there was a need to deter other drivers from travelling at “such an outrageous speed”.

Mr Stewart said not convicting him and placing him on a bond would be “incredibly lenient” and “inappropriate”.

Qureshi was convicted, fined $2200 and disqualified for six months, backdated to when he lost his licence.

Originally published as Abdullah Qureshi convicted of driving 163km/h on Alfords Point Rd