DRIVING ban star Conor McGregor has been told he is “fortunate” that the authorities did not charge him with dangerous or careless driving.

The UFC ace was today disqualified from motoring for six months and fined €1,000 for speeding.

6 Conor McGregor leaving Naas District Court today Credit: PA:Press Association

McGregor was clocked at 154kph in a 100kph zone, as exclusively revealed by the Irish Sun.

The 30-year-old superstar took the stand in court today to say sorry.

He declared: “I apologise, that’s all I can say. I didn’t know I was going that fast."

But putting McGregor off the road for six months, Judge Desmond Zaidan landed a series of stinging blows, telling him: “Speed kills.”

6 Conor McGregor has been disqualified from driving for six months Credit: PA:Press Association

And as the cage champion’s fans turned out for the hearing, the judge questioned why the famous fighter did not face a more serious charge.

Judge Zaidan told McGregor that he was lucky to dodge a careless or dangerous driving rap, as eight out of ten motorists caught driving over 150kph in the district are charged with the higher offences.

The judge said: “He is fortunate he was not charged with a far more serious road traffic allegation of careless driving or dangerous driving.

“The higher the speed the greater the risk involved. The speed here is in the higher end. Speed kills and that is what makes speeding dangerous.

“When speeding goes wrong the consequences are catastrophic and life-changing, there is no question about that.

“Sadly we have lost more lives on our roads because of excessive speeding, dangerous speeds and other bad behaviour on our roads and that is more so than as a result of violence.

6 McGregor was also hit with a €1,000 fine Credit: PA:Press Association

“More people have lost their lives on our roads, from bad driving on our roads, speeding, than as a result of violence, homicide, murder, manslaughter."

McGregor was stopped by gardai in a Range Rover on the N7 at Blackchurch, Kill, Co Kildare, at 10.57pm on October 11 last year.

Naas District Court today heard the Notorious was 54kph over the 100kph limit.

Sergeant Michael Keevans told the court that McGregor was “polite” and “apologetic” when he was stopped on the N7.

Sgt Keevans revealed McGregor gave his parents’ address at Laraghcon in Lucan, Co Dublin, as he could not remember his own address in the K Club in Co Kildare.

McGregor, who was alone in the Range Rover at the time, was issued with a fixed charge penalty notice but this was not paid.

The MMA champ was ordered to appear in court today after failing to turn up to answer the motoring charge last week.

After rolling up to court in a flashy BMW wearing a navy checked suit, with a white shirt and navy tie, McGregor pleaded guilty to speeding.

6 Charges relating to producing the driving licence were withdrawn today as Conor appeared in court

McGregor’s solicitor Graham Kenny said he had been instructed to apologise on his client’s behalf but the judge insisted the accused was the best person to do that.

Speaking from the body of the courtroom, McGregor said: “Of course I apologise.”

The grappler then got into the witness box and said someone had been delegated to pay the fine but he was not sure why that had not happened.

McGregor said: “I passed that on to be paid…it must not have been.”

Addressing the star, Judge Zaidan told how he was “taken back” by McGregor’s 12 previous motoring convictions.

The list of raps include other speeding offences, driving while holding a mobile phone, driving in a bus lane, breaking a red light and parking on double yellow lines.

McGregor was also previously convicted for driving on a provisional licence while unaccompanied when he was younger.

The court heard McGregor’s most recent conviction was handed down in Blanchardstown District Court in November last year for speeding on the Naas road near Dublin.

6 Judge Desmond Zaidan

On the large number of previous motoring raps, McGregor admitted: “There’s a lot there, isn’t there?”

Judge Zaidan said he was “disappointed” by the fact that McGregor was busted at 154kph – and pointed out that almost a year ago he also was caught speeding at 158kph in a 100kph zone.

The judge said McGregor was fortunate that the State chose to give him the “same opportunity” as drivers detected at 60kph in a 50kph zone – instead of prosecuting him for careless or dangerous driving.

McGregor’s solicitor, Mr Kenny, claimed negative publicity from the speeding court case would be “a form of punishment in itself”.

Kenny told how McGregor’s profile was “higher than the average individual” and the case would “reflect very badly on him” as an international sportsperson.

The court heard three driving licence charges were withdrawn after it was established he did have a licence.

Handing down sentence, the judge said he was taking McGregor’s remorse into account, which he described as “sincere”.

6 McGregor arriving at court in Naas Credit: PA:Press Association

But Judge Zaidan stressed the dangers of McGregor’s speeding offence and said there was “no excuse”.

Hitting McGregor with a six-month road ban, Judge Zaidan insisted it was important to “mark the seriousness” of the offence.

The judge gave McGregor six months to pay the €1,000 fine.

On hearing the sentence, McGregor said: “Thank you your honour.”

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The Dublin-born fighter left the courthouse to cheers from supporters.

Walking with his solicitor to his waiting BMW, McGregor told reporters: “Gotta drive safer.”

When asked if he was going to slow down in future, McGregor said: “Yes, yes, yes.”