Watch the moment drink driver is caught at almost three times the speed limit in Newcastle

A man who was caught driving at three times the legal speed limit has been handed a suspended prison sentence - with officers saying it was "sheer luck" that he did not kill someone.

Liam O’Rourke was arrested on the evening of 10 February on Chillingham Road in Heaton, Newcastle, where he hit speeds of up to 86pmph in a 30mph zone.

A police car at the next junction meant officers were able to to analyse dashcam footage and calculate the speed that the 22 year-old's Peugeot had been travelling at.

Officers then tracked his movements and were able to pull him over in the Glendale Terrace area of Byker. He took a roadside breath check where he recorded 58 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, which is above the 35 micrograms limit.

O’Rourke, of Orchard Place in Jesmond, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and driving whilst above the legal limit for alcohol at Newcastle Magistrates Court on Monday 27 February.

He was handed an 18-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months, as well as a 14-month driving ban. After serving his ban, he must also pass an extended driving test before he can be allowed to drive again.

Sergeant Glen Robson from Northumbria Police said O’Rourke should be "ashamed of his actions," adding:

“In my 19 years of service, I can’t recall anybody travelling down that road as fast as this. It’s sheer luck that he did not kill somebody.

“Thankfully, a patrolling police car was in the area and from the dashcam footage we were able to use specialist analysis to determine O’Rourke’s speed. This is just another tool we can use in order to bring dangerous drivers to justice.

“As soon as we saw how fast he was travelling, our immediate priority was to make sure the vehicle was brought to a swift and safe stop – and thankfully we were able to do that within minutes. It came as little surprise that he was also over the legal limit for alcohol.

“We will use every single tactic at our disposal in order to tackle those who endanger the lives of others. O’Rourke’s driving was totally unacceptable – and he proved that he cannot be trusted to be behind the wheel of a car.”

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