After a number of operations by the Sussex Roads Policing Unit to reduce causalities among motorcyclists, three motorcyclists from two incidents were convicted of dangerous driving as a result of the dangerously high speeds and manoeuvres they had carried out.
At Brighton Magistrates’ Court last Tuesday (October 6) Stephen Thomas Padmore, 46, and Jonathan Brown, 35, both pleaded guilty to dangerous riding after police officers witnessed the pair riding high powered sports motorbikes on the A27 from from Brighton to Shoreham at speeds of over 120mph on August 23.
Padmore from Sutton in Surrey, riding a Suzuki sports bike, and Brown from Crowborough riding a Yamaha R1 sports bike were stopped by officers, and because of the serious risk they posed to themselves and other road users, were arrested for dangerous riding, and later charged.
Both riders were sentenced to 200-hours community service, banned from driving for 18 months followed by an extended driving test, and ordered to pay £85 costs each.
In a separate incident Jamie Bonnet, 34, from St Leonards on Sea in East Sussex, was witnessed by police officers travelling at over 140mph on a country road with a 60 mph limit, on September 5.
Officers spotted Bonnet riding his Honda fireblade sports bike on the A271 near Ninfield, East Sussex at high speed, and he was videoed by an unmarked police vehicle as he reached speeds of over 140mph before being stopped by uniformed officers.
As his manner of driving presented a significant risk to other road users, he was arrested for dangerous riding and subsequently charged with this offence.
Pleading guilty at Hastings Magistrates Court on October 1, Bonnett received an eight-week custodial sentence which was suspended for 12 months, 100 hours community work, was disqualified for two years with an extended driving test to obtain his driving licence, and ordered to pay £85 costs.
Insp Marc Clothier, of the Road Policing Unit, said: “Sussex Police are committed to making the roads safer and reducing the number of people whose lives are cut short or seriously affected by road traffic collisions by targeting anti-social riders. The vast majority of motorcyclists are law abiding and safe riders. However, there is a minority who blatantly break the law by intentionally riding in a dangerous manner and putting not only their lives, but also the lives of others at risk.”
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