Oz officer fined for driving 210 km/h in 60km/h zone attending distress call

MELBOURNE - A probationary police constable in Australia has lost his licence and was fined 1,800 dollars after he drove 210 km/h in a 60km/h zone while responding to a break and enter call.

Steven David Sankey, 25, pleaded guilty in the Magistrates Court in Brisbane to dangerous driving on December 20, 2009, and he has been banned from driving for eight months, the Courier Mail reported.he court was told that Sankey was a first-year police officer operating from Stafford station when he and his partner received a call to respond to an incident a break-in at a JB Hi Fi store on Gympie Road.

The call was originally Code 3 - requiring officers to proceed in a normal manner - but after police received incorrect information that a security guard at the store was being assaulted by a person, who had attempted to break in, they upgraded the job to Code 2.

Code 2 allows lights and siren and permits officers to break the speed limit but does not allow them to drive in a dangerous manner.

Prosecutor Dennis Kinsella said Sankey reached speeds of up to 210 km/h on 60km/h Stafford Road through built up areas with numerous side streets.he court was told his supervising officer Senior Constable Parker was forced to brace herself and repeatedly urged him to “slow up”.

Defence lawyer Ralph Devlin, SC, said his client had been stood aside since the incident and had been performing non-operational duties.

He said Sankey had since been diagnosed with aspergers syndrome, which could have affected his behaviour, and that his client hopes to continue working for the QPS in a civilian capacity. (ANI)