AN Ipswich motorist has been banned from the road for eight weeks after driving at 125mph in his Porsche Carerra 911 on the A12.

Colin Adwent

AN Ipswich motorist has been banned from the road for eight weeks after driving at 125mph in his Porsche Carerra 911 on the A12.

Magistrates disqualified Nicholas Johnson, of Foundry Lane, after he admitted travelling at 55mph above the 70mph limit in the dark.

The 32-year-old's actions have led a leading road safety charity to call for tougher action against motorists driving at excessive speed.

Prosecutor Shini Cooksley told South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court that Johnson was spotted by Pc Simon Smith around 6.15pm on November 29 last year, at Hacheston, near Wickham Market.

Pc Smith was in an unmarked police car in a line of traffic behind Johnson's Porsche on the Ipswich-bound A12. The officer had to accelerate constantly to keep in touch with Johnson, who was travelling at between 100mph and 110mph.

Ipswich magistrates heard the Porsche sped through the parishes of Wickham Market, Pettistree and Ufford, accelerating further as it went.

At one stage Johnson was recorded by Pc Smith as travelling at over 120mph, before his speed peaked at 125mph, Mrs Cooksley said.

The Porsche was finally stopped at Woodbridge.

The court heard Johnson was genuinely shocked and visibly shaken when he was told what speed he had been doing.

He told Pc Smith he knew he had been speeding, but was not aware it was by such an excessive amount.

Johnson submitted a letter to the magistrates as part of his mitigation, in which he wrote: “I realise I made a great mistake travelling at the speed I did.”

It also stated he had been driving for 15 years and had three points on his licence from a speeding matter in 2008.

Johnson, who is studying for a post graduate course in human resources' management, said he travelled between Ipswich and Lowestoft for work each day. He believed he had “switched off” to the speed he was going.

Speaking to the court he said he no longer took his driving licence for granted as he did on that day. Johnson added he had considered what he had done each day during the intervening seven months and that he had now sold the Porsche.

In addition to the eight-week ban, magistrates fined Johnson �350, ordered him to pay �46 costs and a �15 victim surcharge.

After the case Helena Houghton, of road safety charity Brake, said: “Driving at such high speeds is selfish and completely unacceptable. Speed limits are there for a reason, to protect other drivers and road users.

“Brake would like to see extremely high speeds, such as 100mph, punished with a charge of dangerous driving, and any fines linked to personal income, to hammer home to drivers the severity of a crime which can rob someone of their life in seconds.”