A RACING driver who has competed on most of Europe's top circuits has had his new career as a road tester brought to an end after being caught driving at more than double the speed limit.
Auto Express motoring journalist and former competitor Owen Mildenhall appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday and admitted driving dangerously on a single carriageway stretch of the A96 between Aberdeen and Inverness at Tornagrain by driving his Porsche Carrera 911 at more than twice the legal speed limit of 60mph.
Mildenhall, who is 41 and lives in Edenbridge in Kent, was on his way north on July 10 from his English home to test a new BMW in the Highland capital.
But a road policing unit was doing speed checks on the road at 12.45am and heard Mildenhall's car accelerating loudly at high revs.
He sped past the police's laser gun at 127mph and the officers took off in pursuit .
The court heard Mildenhall told the officers: "I was testing the vehicle's acceleration through the gears. I know it is not an excuse."
His defence solicitor, Joe MacPherson told Sheriff David Sutherland that his client had the skills and capability to drive at such speed but knew he should not.
"He was scheduled to test a new BMW for the magazine he works for. But as a result of this conviction he has lost his job. "
Sheriff Sutherland fined Mildenhall £2,000, disqualified him from driving for 15 months and ordered him to pass the extended driving test on completion of the ban before he can drive again.
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