Motorcyclist banned for 74mph Northside ride
A motorcyclist who rode at 74mph in a 25mph zone at Northside, Vale, had been spotted speeding along the same stretch of road the night before, the Magistrate’s Court was told.
Reilly Le Cras, 25, of Ville au Roi, St Peter Port, admitted counts of speeding and riding at a speed dangerous to the public.
He has been taken off the roads for a total of 19 months and fined £1,500.
Prosecuting Advocate Liam Roffey told the court how one evening last month, at about 9.20pm, a police officer who was conducting speed checks in the area had been speaking to the occupants of some 10 to 12 vehicles that were parked at the side of the road, when the defendant rode past at 44mph. He was not stopped at the time.
The following day, at an almost identical time, the defendant rode past at 74mph when a similar number of people were again in the area.
When arrested for the offence, Le Cras told officers that it would be the last time he listened to loud music while riding.
Residents in the area have been complaining about speeding vehicles, particularly late at night, and calling for a stronger police presence around those times.
During the speed checks carried out in July, more motorists were stopped and are expected in court in the next few weeks to face speeding summonses.
Police have described speeds such as the 74mph logged are ‘incredibly dangerous’.
Le Cras, who had no previous convictions and apologised to the court, said he had been riding motorbikes for three years and had held a full licence for two.
He accepted that his riding had been dangerous on the second occasion and said he had just been showing off to people in the area.
Defending, Advocate Chris Green said his client had been refreshingly frank and honest in interview. He had not realised he had been riding at 74mph.
Judge Gary Perry said the speed involved in the second charge had been quite rightly classed as dangerous, as other road users had been exposed to a serious risk of harm.
A fine of £300 with a one-month driving ban was meted for the speeding, with a further £1,200 fine and an 18-month ban, consecutive, for dangerous riding.
When Le Cras was searched at the police station, cocaine weighing 0.09grams was found in his possession. He admitted possession and was fined a further £500.
