Pensioner petrol head! Owen Swift, 68, denies driving at 147mph after round of golf

• Owen Swift argued with officers when caught in his £81,000 Jaguar


• Told police on A64 in North Yorkshire they had stopped the wrong motorist


• Later fined £700 and banned for nine months
  

By Chris Brooke

Last updated at 11:54 AM on 12th January 2012

Caught: Owen Swift, 68, has been banned from driving for nine months after police officers caught him doing 147mph on the A64 in North Yorkshire

A pensioner on his way back from a round of golf was caught speeding in his Jaguar sports car at 147mph.

Owen Swift, 68, was followed by police for almost four miles before they managed to catch up with him.

When he finally stopped, the company director refused to get out of his £80,000 Jaguar XKR coupe and denied he was going too fast.

He disputed the speed gun readings and  criticised officers for not letting him off.

'You can't have got me,' he said. 'You were on the other side of the carriageway and crash barrier.' He added that not being able to drive would affect his job, saying: 'That's it. At my age that's my livelihood.'

When it was clear he was not going to be arrested, Swift refused a request to sign the police paperwork and drove off.

Yesterday he denied speeding when he appeared at Scarborough Magistrates Court.

Sergeant John Clayton and PC Ian Barrett said the Jaguar roared past their speed trap on the A64 near Malton, North Yorkshire.

PC Barrett said they heard the car engine 'working very hard.' 'It was quite a high-pitched noise,' he said. The officers gave chase, with lights and sirens on, driving at more than 100 mph. When he stopped, Swift said he had spent the day playing golf and inspecting housing projects.

He claimed to have been travelling at no more than 60mph. He refused to sit in the patrol car and wouldn't sign a notice of intended prosecution. 'We weren't exactly seeing eye to eye,' he told the court. 'I was not too impressed with his attitude.

'We were reasonably civil to each other, but in the end I said "Either arrest me and get me a solicitor or let me go". I was certainly not doing 100. I do not think the car is even capable of 147. It is limited to 155 on the speedo.'

Fast: Swift is seen getting out of a Jaguar similar to the one he was caught speeding in by officers

Swift was found guilty of speeding and fined £700 with £650 costs. He was also banned from driving for nine months. Magistrate David Harrison said: 'In my experience of nearly 30 years on the bench, 147mph is one of the highest readings I have experienced.'

Later Sgt Clayton said: 'This was the worst speeding offence I have ever come across.

'My day job is a road death investigator. If something had gone wrong at that speed I might not have been dealing with Mr Swift, I might have been dealing with his family in a different capacity.'

Source : dailymail

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