Police post ‘lunatic’ ride of 153mph biker on YouTube as warning to bragging speedsters

Police have posted videos on its own YouTube channel as an online warning after a “lunatic” motorcyclist filmed himself test driving high-powered superbikes at speeds over 150mph along country lanes.

And Devon and Cornwall Police, which welcomed the nine-month prison term imposed on a 24-year-old Plymouth man, said it hoped the sentence would deter those planning to boast about reckless speeding.

The force found footage of supermarket worker Ashley Dixon after he posted a helmet camera video to the social media site – on a £12,000 Honda Firebird and a £11,700 BMW S100R – and traced him to his home in Plymouth.

Dixon, 24, admitted two counts of dangerous driving and was jailed for nine months and disqualified from driving for two years at Exeter Crown Court.

Sergeant Gary Williamson, from Devon and Cornwall Police’s Safer Road Support Unit, said: “This sentence gives a clear signal to anyone planning to brag about speeding on Devon and Cornwall’s roads, and that they will be dealt with the utmost seriousness.

“The speeds he was travelling at meant he would have had no chance to react had anything come into his path on the road or had he encountered anything unexpected on the road surface. A collision at those speeds would have been catastrophic.

“To then post the footage on social media in a bid to gain notoriety for his actions was crass, and quite rightly looked on very dimly by the Judge concerned.

“I can only hope that other motorists who engage in such arrogant behaviour will see this and realise that if they continue to behave in this manner they are a danger to themselves and others, and when caught they will be dealt with robustly.” 

Judge Francis Gilbert, QC, in sentencing Dixon, told him: "I have worked in the courts as a judge and a barrister for many, many years and I find it difficult to recall any case of such extremely dangerous driving.

"It was a miracle nobody was killed or seriously injured, including yourself. I know these roads very well and they are winding with plenty of bends, high hedges and very bad visibility.

"You rode for at least five miles and probably more on each occasion on 1,000 cc bikes which you purported to take for test drives even though you were never going to purchase them because you could not afford them.

"I conclude you did it because you were going to film yourself with a camera on your head riding at high speeds on rural roads in the South Hams so you could upload it onto the internet and show off.

"You did it so your wildly dangerous driving could be seen by others and you did it twice. You admit riding with no regard to the safety of others and filming it.”

The first vehicle Dixon tested was a 1000cc Honda Firebird where the footage showed a speed of 153 mph which was uncalibrated, said James Taghdissian, prosecuting. 

The BMW was ridden on a similar route at speeds of 130 mph. The only time his speed dropped below 100 was in the 30 mph limit at the village of Wrangaton where he slowed to 90 mph.

The video showed Dixon driving through junctions without braking or giving way. “In short, he was riding like a lunatic," added the judge.

To date the video at http://bit.ly/1LCyGSy has received more than 31,000 views.

More: http://www.policeprofessional.com/news.aspx?id=24311