A Ballarat teenager has pleaded guilty after doing around 70km/h above the speed limit on the way to see his girlfriend.
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The 19-year-old, who The Courier has chosen not to name because he did not receive a conviction, appeared in the Ballarat Magistrates Court on Monday and pleaded guilty to driving at a dangerous speed.
Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Sam Young told the court a speed camera was set up on the Sunraysia Highway on April 30 this year and detected the 19-year-old's car going 174km/h in a 100km/h speed limit zone, an alleged speed of 168km/h.
"The accused was driving at a speed deemed to be dangerous," Senior Constable Young told the court.
The court heard the man would lose his license for a mandatory 12 months on the speeding charge.
When interviewed by police, the man admitted to being the driver of the vehicle at the time of the offence.
He agreed the speed was dangerous and would result in death during a collision, but the teenager told police he couldn't explain the offending, he was "just on the way to my girlfriend's house".
I looked down, I knew I was going quick but I could believe it.
- The 19-year-old in court.
The man, who represented himself, told the court he worked as a bartender but was considering joining the defence forces.
Magistrate Gregory Robinson told the 19-year-old the army would likely be looking closely at his offending, because "they don't want cowboys taking that sort of risk".
"That's not a very safe road at the best of times, and this was at night," he said. "If you get caught for this offence again, you'll go to jail. You're not just a danger to yourself, but other road users at that speed."
The man was fined $800.
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