Serial speedster at 150km/h on food run before crash

Laine Clark | March 16, 2023

On a food run for his daughter’s 11th birthday party, Gregory Michael Scanlan reached speeds in excess of 150km/h on a Brisbane suburban street.

The speed limit was 50km/h.

He already had an “appalling” traffic history with almost 50 speeding convictions.

However when the party required more food, Scanlan put his “foot to the floor” as he ducked off to the shops in his Audi convertible.

His Sunday afternoon drive abruptly ended when he collided with an elderly couple’s vehicle at an intersection in Brisbane’s north.

CCTV footage was shown on Thursday in Brisbane District Court of Scanlan’s vehicle moments before the collision at Bulimba in November 2018 which hospitalised an elderly couple.

In one clip, the 49-year-old’s vehicle is driving along Brisbane St in excess of the speed limit before a loud crash can be heard.

At the moment of impact, Scanlan’s car was travelling at almost 59km/h in the 50km zone.

His vehicle collided with the other car – a Toyota Corolla – before taking out a home’s fence and front stairs.

The Corolla’s occupants – a married couple in their 70s – had to be cut out of their vehicle and taken to hospital.

They suffered “severe and ongoing” injuries and have no recollection of the incident.

Scanlan’s licence had previously been suspended six times and cancelled on three occasions.

He was on a 12-month good behaviour licence restriction – his fourth overall – at the time of the Bulimba incident.

Scanlan also had two traffic convictions after the collision while on bail.

He now has 49 speeding convictions.

Judge David Kent noted that referees had observed Scanlan had slowed down while driving since the collision.

“If you have slowed down, that’s commendable,” he said.

“But … one would ask rhetorically if this didn’t slow you down, what on God’s green earth would?

“You were very close to killing these people. In saying that I acknowledge the causation issues.”

The court heard there was independent evidence that suggested the Corolla did not adhere to a stop sign or give way to Scanlan before the collision.

“The issue is no longer whether he caused the collision,” defence barrister Russell Pearce said.

“We have pleaded guilty to a charge that relies on the excessive speed.”

Scanlan used his car a lot for work, Mr Pearce said.

“It goes some way to explaining why someone might acquire a history of speeding tickets,” he said.

Mr Pearce said Scanlan was excited and “simply opened the throttle” on his party food run but described it as an act of stupidity.

He said Scanlan suffered a fractured wrist in the collision, still endured leg and back issues and had put on 20kg.

Scanlan pleaded guilty to dangerous operation of a vehicle while excessively speeding.

He was sentenced to 18 months in jail, suspended for two years.

Scanlan was also disqualified from driving for three years.