Speed cop faces legal challenge to acquittal Wed Feb 1, 2006 12:43 AM GMT
LONDON (Reuters) - A traffic officer caught driving at 159 mph but cleared by a court of speeding and dangerous driving faces a legal move at the High Court in London on Wednesday to convict him.
The Attorney General will appeal against the acquittal of constable Mark Milton and seek a High Court order that the advanced police driver should be convicted over his high speed blast in the early hours of December 5, 2003.
Milton, a qualified advanced driver, was recorded by an onboard camera in his upgraded unmarked Vauxhall Vectra police car travelling at 91 mph in a 30 mph zone and hitting 159 mph on the M54 motorway, or well above the legal limit of 70 mph.
Milton's defence, accepted by the local judge in May 2005, was that he had taken the car on a test run around Telford, Shropshire, where he was based.
The judge said the prosecution had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that he had driven dangerously and that the car was being "used for police purposes" when the incident occurred.
The ruling prompted outrage in the media and condemnation from motoring groups.
On Wednesday, lawyers for the Attorney General will argue the district judge erred in law when he made his judgement.
I think they will have to find him guilty as public opinion and press coverage of this one is high. Had they been able to hush it up he would have walked.
Truth is he was out for a "Jolly" in the new motor, and was not on an official chase or training run under supervision so he should be punished.
Fingers crossed justice prevails for once and the public get the vote they are praying for.............
Pc Milton was recorded doing 159mph in December 2003 A police constable who reached 159mph on a motorway has had his acquittal for speeding and dangerous driving overturned by the High Court. Pc Mark Milton, 38, from Telford, Shropshire, was recorded by the patrol car's video camera on the M54 in 2003.
District Judge Bruce Morgan earlier cleared him after hearing he was "familiarising" himself with a new car.
On Wednesday, two High Court judges sent the case back to Ludlow Magistrates' Court to be heard again.
The judges ruled the district judge erred in law when acquitting the West Mercia officer of dangerous driving last May, after describing him as the "creme de la creme" of police drivers.
Originally posted by antonye I think he's now being hounded for a conviction for political reasons more than anything else.
It obviously didn't sit well with the public after the press go hold of it. I'm sure nothing would have come of it otherwise.
I agree, but he will have to be punished and he'll probably get more dished out than he should get. If it was dealt with properly first time round then people would not be so keen for his blood.
01-Feb-2006, 12:43 
antonye
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