The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A man who drunk drove his girlfriend helmetless on the back of a motorcycle stolen from a Spalding home is now living in a Pinchbeck tent as a result, a court has heard.
Anthony Taylor, 28, admitted taking the vehicle, driving it with excess alcohol and without insurance or driving licence and not wearing a helmet.
His partner, Sarah McCourt, 40, admitted being carried on the motorcycle and not wearing a helmet.
It was said that they were now living in a tent in the Pinchbeck area but at the time of the offence they were in accommodation at the Wishing Well pub in Bourne.
Prosecuting, Paul Wood said Taylor, with McCourt on the pillion seat drinking from a bottle of beer, rode the motorcycle from the owner’s address in Love Lane, Spalding at 5pm on May 13 and were pursued by the owner in a friend’s van.
He said they stopped in Acacia Avenue where Taylor said he would hand the motorcycle back if the police were not called, but then drove off back to their accommodation in Bourne and police were informed and they were arrested.
He said neither of them were wearing helmets and Taylor tested positive for alcohol with a reading of 58 microgrammes, the legal limit being 35.
Mitigating for McCourt, who was said to be pregnant, Beris Brickles said she was the mother of four children and had been Taylor’s partner for four years and they were presently living in a tent.
He said she had taken no part in taking the motorcycle and had got on the back when Taylor told her to get on so they could return to Bourne.
The magistrates heard that Taylor was subject to an 18 month suspended prison sentence for affray imposed in February of this year and a community order for possession of drugs imposed last October.
Daven Naghen, mitigating for Taylor, said the couple had lost their accommodation in Bourne as a result of this incident and were now living in a tent again.
He said he had suffered from ADHD and that had probably influenced his decision making but he had
seen the motorcycle with the keys in it and had decided to go for a joy ride.
He said he did offer to hand it back but when he thought some of the owner’s friends were coming and would beat him up, he drove back to Bourne on it.
McCourt was fined £80 and ordered to pay court costs and charges totalling £119 but Taylor, who the magistrates said had committed the offence just three months after being given a suspended prison sentence, was sent to Lincoln Crown Court for sentence at a date to be arranged.
He was also given an interim driving ban.
