Man fined for 117mph 'test drive'

AshleyTraynor was caught travelling at nearly 117mph

A teenager who re-built his car engine before taking it on a 116.9mph test drive along a north Wales dual carriageway has appeared in court.

Ashley James Traynor, 19, from Bryn-y-Baal near Mold, admitted breaking the 70mph speed limit on the A55 expressway.

His error was the speed which it is accepted is very high

Mr Phillip Lloyd Jones, defending

Traynor - a welder at a power station in Cheshire - was banned from driving for five weeks and ordered to pay £190.

At a hearing before Flintshire Magistrates on Thursday the court was told how the car was Traynor's pride and joy.

The court was told how magistrates had taken into account the fact that the offence had taken place in the early hours of the morning and he had pleaded guilty promptly.

Defending solicitor Phillip Lloyd Jones said in the days leading up to the incident his client had been working on his Vauxhall Cavalier car.

Traynor had completely re-built the engine "and was rather pleased with his efforts".

Test run

The court was told how the project had been completed late at night and Traynor had decided to go for a test run.

Mr Jones said: "There was nothing wrong in doing that.

"His error was the speed which it is accepted is very high."

The teenager drove to Pentre Halkyn, turned around, and was driving back when the offence occurred.

Mr Lloyd Jones said that in the short time his client had been driving he had travelled more than 100,000 miles and had never had any problems with the law previously.