‘Dirt-bike’ driver fined and banned for a year

A teenager who took out his dirt bike after drinking and travelled the equivalent length of a quarter of a football pitch has been banned from the roads for one year and ordered to pay a fine.

Mark Rushby, 19, of Ladies Drive in Lerwick, was on bail and uninsured when he took out his BFD machine with an alcohol count of 38 microgrammes.

He was spotted by the police, who were on patrol in the area on 20th May, and smelled alcohol on him. He failed the roadside test and was detained.

Rushby initially appeared last week before honorary sheriff Sandy Cluness. He admitted riding his BFD machine with an alcohol count of 38 microgrammes. Sentence was deferred until this week.

Defence agent Tommy Allan told Lerwick Sheriff Court today that Rushby had bought the bike a year ago for £100. It had been sitting by the stairs in his flat. On the night in question he had some people round drinking. They gave Rushby a hand to carry the bike outside.

They put the chain on for him, and Rushby started the bike and decided to take it a short distance to a nearby car park.

“The distance he was intending to travel was about a quarter of a football pitch,” Mr Allan said.
The agent added that Rushby had driven the machine on a stretch “set back” from the road.

“It was not on the road itself, albeit he was on a carriageway covered by the Road Traffic Act,” Mr Allan said.

He said Rushby co-operated with police and spent a night in custody for his trouble.

Fining him £550, sheriff Philip Mann also disqualified Rushby for 12 months – although he can reduce that by three months if he completes a rehabilitation course.

“You were not massively over the drink driving limit but, nonetheless, you were over the limit and I am sure you’ll know the dangers of drink driving,” the sheriff said. “The fact you only intended to drive a short distance is no excuse.”