Cork court: Learner motorcyclist travelling up to 170km/h before being stopped

A learner motorcyclist, who was followed by gardaí, was travelling at speeds of up to 170km/h before he was stopped, a recent sitting of Macroom District Court has heard.

Sergeant Trish O’Sullivan told the court that a garda speed check was in operation on the N22 near Ballymakeera, Co Cork, on February 2, 2025. At 2pm, a motorcycle heading west was recorded travelling at 137km/h in a 100km/h zone.

Gardaí followed the motorcycle, which continued speeding, reaching speeds of up to 170km/h at Cappagh West. The motorcycle was eventually pulled over near the county bounds at Derrynasaggart.

The rider of the motorcycle — Callum Dick, aged 25, of Inchamore, Coolea, Co Cork — produced a learner permit and gave no excuse to gardaí for the excessive speed.

Defence solicitor, Patrick Goold, said his client was a student at Carlow Institute of Technology and had given up motorcycling since the incident. The court was told that road conditions were dry at the time and Dick “didn’t realise what speed he was doing”.

Mr Goold said his client had no previous convictions and a full licence for driving a car, but only had a learner permit for the bike at the time.

However, Judge John King questioned how somebody could be riding a motorcycle at 170km/h and not know what speed they were doing.

He agreed to reduce the initial charge of dangerous driving to the lesser charge of careless driving and adjourned the matter to January 21, 2026, for Dick to bring €600 to court.

He said if the accused did so, he would not face a driving disqualification when matters were finalised.

• Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme