Albany real estate agent John Joseph Hetherington Junior fined after caught speeding at 197km/h

An Albany real estate agent has been fined and had his licence disqualified after he was caught speeding at 197km/h in Drome on May 26. John Joseph Hetherington Junior, 50, appeared in Albany Magistrates Court on August 1 and pleaded guilty to one count of reckless driving at a speed of 155km/h or more. Police prosecutor Sgt Warrick Walker told the court Hetherington was clocked driving at 197km/h on Albany Highway in a Ford Mustang. Hetherington’s defence lawyer Haydon Bawden said he understood the seriousness of the charge. “It was just by coincidence a speed camera was set up in that location,” Mr Bawden said. “He acknowledges it as important to face the consequences of his actions. “He knows the offence is very serious, and he knows he can’t escape that.” Mr Bawden said it was the first time Hetherington had driven the vehicle, which belonged to his wife, and he had sped up after pulling on to Albany Highway from an off-road in a 110km/h zone to avoid a collision with an approaching car. Magistrate Dianne Scaddan was scathing in her remarks to Hetherington, saying it was among the highest speeds she had seen in her career. “Had you kept a better lookout on the road, you would have let the car pass,” Ms Scaddan said. She deemed Hetherington’s explanation that he was unfamiliar with his wife’s car a “repugnant submission”. Magistrate Scaddan had little patience for Hetherington’s reasoning and said someone who had lived in Albany for 20 years should be well aware of the danger of the existing environment and surrounding nature. “It is good luck more than anything else that you did not have any serious accident,” she said. “You cannot be oblivious to the vehicle incidents in the area.” Great Southern traffic police officer-in-charge Sergeant Derek Grimes strongly criticised hoon driving behaviour at the time of the offence. “Driving at this speed is ridiculous and not only places the driver at risk, but all road users,” Sgt Grimes said. “In order to make our roads safer for everyone, this type of poor driving behaviour needs to stop.” Hetherington was fined $2000 and has had his licence disqualified for six months.