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FAST FOOD!
Reckless driver hits speeds of 129MPH to try and get home before his McDonald’s gets cold
Police footage captures the moment Lee Rutherford is seen speeding through the streets - all to protect his takeaway
A RECKLESS roofer embarked on a high speed car chase, hitting 129mph as he raced home - just to keep his McDonald's meal from going cold.
Dozy driver Lee Rutherford sped off up the A189 in Ashington, Northumberland, after grabbing a burger from the fast food chain on a Saturday night.
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Video footage captured by cops shows them chasing Rutherford's modified Renault Clio through the streets in treacherous conditions.
The 32-year-old later told police he was in a rush because he wanted to get home and eat his grub "while it was still warm", according to the .
Kyle Patterson, defending Rutherford, told Bedlington Magistrates’ Court: “Him driving at such a speed was because he’d been to McDonald’s and he wanted his food to still be hot by the time he got home.”
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Begging magistrates not to jail the fast food fan, the lawyer added that Rutherford was not “swerving” dangerously on the road but agreed his speeding, almost double the 70mph limit, was “daft”.
He added: “It’s a lad in a high-powered car who sees an open road in front of him at a clear time of day and he puts his foot down.”
Lynne Russell, prosecuting, told the court how a cop in an unmarked car followed Rutherford before stopping him at 9pm on Saturday, February 6.
She said: “Taking into account the conditions, the officer felt the standard of driving fell far below the standard of a competent driver in those conditions.”
Rutherford pleaded guilty to making a false statement to obtain insurance, but denied dangerous driving.
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He had failed to tell his insurance company that the hatchback had been modified – which included a new air filter and adjustments to the exhaust.
He was later found guilty at a trial and sentenced for both offences on October 14.
Rutherford, of Twelfth Avenue, Blyth, who narrowly avoided a jail sentence for the stupid act - instead being given a 20-week prison sentences suspended for a year, has since sold the Clio.
He was banned from driving for 18 months, had his licence revoked as he'd had it for under two years, fined £500 for the dangerous chase and ordered to pay £620 in court costs.
He will also have to take an extended driving test before being allowed behind the wheel again.
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David Gunn, chairman of the bench, said: “The most serious offence is the dangerous driving.
"We’d say it was excessive speed, in particularly in relation to the conditions on a wet road.”
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