A motorcyclist who hit 130mph as he sought to flee police after a trip to buy cannabis in Carlisle has been spared immediate prison.
Officers first spotted Ryan Moffat, 28, on the city’s London Road at around 2.40pm on July 6 last year. Their attention was drawn to the high speed of his Honda CB 650cc motorcycle, and him overtaking.
As they followed discreetly behind Moffat initially, his speed was clocked at around 100mph in a 50mph zone towards the Golden Fleece roundabout.
On the A6, he accelerated to speeds of up to 130mph on a dual carriageway section with police activating blue lights and sirens as the chase continued.
“He was overtaking other vehicles including, having looked at the (dash cam) footage, most dangerously, a lorry while someone else was overtaking it,” said prosecutor Brendan Burke.
Moffat hit 70mph in 40mph Low Hesket village with pedestrians in the area, then 100mph in Plumpton — another 40mph zone — before pulling away from police after doubling back at the Stoneybeck roundabout near Penrith.
As officers visited his family home at Brockley Moor in Plumpton, they saw Moffat ride past and take off again. He was pulled over on the A6. “One officer remarked to him that (his conduct) had been a silly thing to do,” said Mr Burke.
“He accepted that and said ‘I’ve been an idiot’. He said that he had panicked because he had a bit of cannabis on his person.” This had been bought early in the Carlisle area.
When prosecuted and brought to court, Moffat admitted dangerous driving.
Defence lawyer Marion Weir, mitigating, said: “There is little that can be said to mitigate the offence itself. It is more luck than design that no-one was seriously hurt, including Mr Moffat himself.”
Moffat, a working man, had shown genuine remorse, was backed by supportive character references, was highly thought of, and had committed no offences since.
After considering all background information, Judge Nicholas Barker concluded he could suspend a nine-month jail term for 18 months. Moffat must complete a rehabilitation requirement and 180 hours’ unpaid work. He was also banned from driving for 18 months and must sit an extended re-test.
“You achieved very significant and highly dangerous speeds,” said Judge Barker. “I do consider this was a serious example of dangerous driving.”
