defended himself in Magistrates' Court against a charge of dangerous driving.

Gary Benjamin, who had pleaded not guilty to speeding and dangerous driving, said he was travelling fast to take an asthmatic to hospital. But the Police prosecutor challenged his story saying doctors interviewed at the hospital said Benjamin's passenger was not suffering from asthma.

Benjamin was stopped by Police after a brief chase early on the morning of October 11.

Police Insp. Raymond Bell, who was with two motorcycle patrolmen and two other officers in a marked vehicle at a radar trap outside the entrance to the Pembroke Dump at Marsh Folly Lane.

Insp. Bell told the court that they noticed the headlights of a car approaching from around a bend, 300 yards away.

"It was traveling at a tremendously fast speed,'' he told the court. "I pointed the radar gun in that easterly direction and 99K appeared on the display. Because of the speed I cancelled the display and immediately took the reading again. It was still 99K.'' Insp. Bell said the motorcyclists and the marked Police car followed the speeding red BMW when it failed to stop for the flashing blue lights.

"There was a shocked expression on the driver's face when he saw us as he sped by.'' Insp. Bell assured the court that the radar detector had been tested before and after the incident to make sure it was in working order.

"Nor was there any interference from any nearby radio frequency to disturb the readings on the detector.'' Insp. James Howard was the first officer to reach the car.

"I pursued the vehicle,'' he said. "I never lost sight of it from the time it passed until the time it stopped.'' Insp. Howard described how the car barely missed straddling the island in the middle of the Marsh Folly Road.

"Then it turned into Dutton Avenue with no brake lights or indicators. It slid sideways completely over the northbound carriage way.'' When Insp. Howard approached the driver of the car, he discovered he had known him for years.

After being told the speed he had been driving Benjamin told Insp. Howard: "James, you know I don't speed like this. I have a man in here with asthma. I have to get him to the hospital.'' Insp. Howard told the court he could see the alleged asthma sufferer in the back of the car with a smirk on his face. There was another person in the front seat.

"I could smell alcohol coming from the car but it wasn't from the driver,'' he said. The inspector asked the back seat passenger if he wanted to go to the hospital. The man replied: "I don't want to go to no hospital. I don't like them doctors.'' "He stepped out of the car,'' Insp. Howard said. "It was found that he was the one who was drunk. He swayed and grabbed onto the roof of the car. He was giggling and laughing. We asked him again and he said `No', he didn't want to go to the hospital.'' Benjamin then asked to get out of the car to plead his case but he was refused.

Benjamin told the court the alleged asthma sufferer was a passenger that he had picked up on the way home from St. George's.

Benjamin denied claims that he and the alleged asthma sufferer had concocted the story as an excuse for speeding.

He said he asked Insp. Howard to help him get his passenger to the hospital but Howard refused.

"Insp. Iris, another officer that I know, arrived on the scene and I told him that my friend needed to go to the hospital. He said for us to go ahead to the hospital and he would check on us later.'' Benjamin said that by the fire station his car broke down because he had damaged the engine on the traffic island. He and the two men that had been in his car hailed a taxi which took them to the hospital.

Sgt. Earl Kirby, prosecuting, told the court that medical officials at the emergency ward found Mr. Benjamin's passenger was not suffering from asthma.

Sgt. Kirby asked Benjamin why he had been on Dutton Avenue going to the hospital when there were many other routes he could have taken.

Benjamin did not answer.

Magistrate the Wor. Charles-Etta Simmons adjourned the case until Monday.