Speeding motorist to blame, not speed camera, court told
MAGISTRATE bats away man’s excuse for excessive speeding and points out past history
Police & Courts
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A BRUNSWICK Heads man who sped well above the limit past a heavily-signed fixed speed camera has faced court.
Peter Anthony Browning, 48, was clocked travelling at 99km/h in the 60km/h zone on Hinterland Way at Ewingsdale shortly before 10.30pm on March 4 this year.
He had already paid his fine for exceeding the speed limit by more than 30km/h but sought leniency on his disqualification period when he faced Byron Bay Local Court on Monday.
Defence solicitor Richard Moloney spoke to the court about some of the history and geography of that particular speed camera, which sits towards the bottom of a steep slope, but Magistrate Karen Stafford interjected.
"That camera has been there as long as I've been in the area which is 15 years," Ms Stafford said.
"It's not that the camera's catching (people), it's that they're speeding, more than 30km in your client's case, over the speed limit.
"There is, in my view, more than sufficient warning that the speed limit is 60km per hour."
Mr Moloney asked for his client's licence to be spared.
He told the court Mr Browning runs a business and had "battled through the COVID crisis".
He said there was no one else on the road at the time of the offence and he "may not have noticed (the signs) particularly".
Ms Stafford said this extent of speeding carries an automatic disqualification period "because it's so dangerous".
"You don't have a clean traffic record," she told Mr Browning.
"I think I counted eight speeding offences, including one that was committed on May 19, that is after this matter.
"There is a need to stop other people from speeding.
"There's a need to stop you from speeding.
"I know everyone in this area suffers a lot when they lose their licence, but a lot of families suffer a lot when they lose someone on the road."
She convicted Mr Browning and disqualified him for three months, backdated to October 17.
He had already paid a fine so received no further monetary penalty.
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