ONE of the dozens of bikers who took part in a cavalcade around Coventry to mark the anniversary of the tragic death of a young rider ended up leading the police on a high-speed chase.
After reaching twice the speed limit, going through red lights and riding along the pavement, forcing a pedestrian to jump out of his way, reckless Wayne Brown suffered a heart attack.
Following his arrest after the police punctured the tyres of his machine with a stinger, he was taken to hospital where his heart attack was diagnosed, Warwick Crown Court has heard.
Brown (39) of Bartons Meadow, Stoke Heath, Coventry, was jailed for 12 months and banned for two-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to dangerous driving and having no insurance.
Prosecutor Andrew Tucker said that on September 15 there was ‘a memorial ride-out’ around Coventry to mark the anniversary of the death of 21-year-old Tyrone Evans in a collision while he was riding his quad bike on the A444.
The police became aware of it, and were alerted to the fact that there could be hundreds of people taking part, so began to monitor the informal event.
At around lunchtime Brown was spotted riding a motocross bike which did not have any visible registration number, so they tried to speak to him.
“But he was not prepared to enter into conversation and made off through heavy traffic along the A444 into Coventry city centre.”
During the pursuit which followed, he rode on the wrong side of a dual carriageway at high speed, changing lanes without indicating and going through red traffic lights.
He rode at speeds of more than 60mph along roads with speed limits of 30 and 40mph, and at 25mph along a footpath, forcing a pedestrian to jump out of the way of the bike.
Officers ahead of him put down a stinger device which punctured the bike’s tyres, but even that did not stop him until he eventually pulled over in Holbrooks Lane.
Shown a recording of the incident, Brown, who had previous convictions for offences including an attempted robbery in 2001 and driving while disqualified, made some admissions – but denied his riding had been dangerous, added Mr Tucker.
Simon Worlock, defending, said that Brown had been ‘quite ill,’ and while he was in police custody for three hours following his arrest he was seen by a doctor who diagnosed a heart attack.
He was taken to hospital where it was confirmed he had suffered a heart attack and also discovered that he had type one diabetes, for which he now has to inject himself twice a day.
Mr Worlock observed that the officer who arrested Brown said he was surprised the rider was a mature man.
He explained that Tyrone Evans, also known as Tyrone Shields, had died a year earlier, and his father had hosted a suggestion on social media for the ride – and as a family friend, Brown had decided to take part.
Following his arrest, the police seized his motocross bike, along with around 40 machines seized that day for various reasons, and it is unlikely to be returned to him.
Mr Worlock, who said Brown has seven children, including a son in the Parachute Brigade, argued: “There is just about room for Your Honour to suspend the sentence.”
But Judge Sarah Buckingham responded: “He was driving in a crowded area in the middle of the day at twice the speed limit, and he was not deterred even when the stinger burst his tyres.”
Jailing Brown, she told him: “Against a background where you and many others were remembering the sad death of a young friend of yours which had involved a motorcycle a year earlier, you were out on a motorcycle and you drove dangerously.
“So dangerously that it caused pedestrians, at least one, to have to jump out of the way, you drove through red lights, and you drove above the speed limit, at least twice the limit.
“In broad daylight in the middle of what was meant to be a memorial for this young man you behaved in a way far, far below what one wold expect of a man of your years who should have known better.
“I can only consider a custodial sentence. I cannot see any basis for suspending it.”
