Excessive Sentence : 166mph biker

[Justintime]

Motorbike sentence -- ridiculous.

Justintime --

I'm surprised it slowed down for the speed camera as my wife's ex-boyfriend processes the photos and the first thing they do is throw away all the ones with emergency service vehicles on them.

.

I did find it odd, though i wonder if driving their normal civvie car has trained them like that as i've seen a big ol police sprinter with full lights and sirens on slow down for a camera once

 

[Locky]

Id apeal that to be honest, way over the top.

 

[Meridian]

and this guy gets 9 months in prison for speeding.

As no-one seems to have noticed:

He had admitted a charge of dangerous driving in a previous appearance at Peebles Sheriff Court.

In other words, he was sentenced for that, not speeding. Nine months for dangerous driving is fairly lenient.


M

 

[iaind]

It seems harsh in comparison to other cases (although as Meridian has pointed out, speeding wasnt the charge), but I don't think that's means this is too harsh - I think it means other sentences have been too lenient.

He could have caused a serious accident at that speed and time inside will probably stop him doing it again - having to wedge out for a fine probably wouldn't. Unfortunately we don't have the prison capacity to bang up every dangerous driver on the road

 

[atpbx]

not really, I've traveled a lot faster than 166 and as long as it's on a quiet straight and very long road it's not a danger to anyone really.

the bike is capable of it, and if the rider has judged the conditions ok for it then it's not bothering anyone and not any huge leap in danger..

.

But who is the rider to decide whats an acceptable risk?
He isnt in a position to do that, thats why If he gets caught he gets hit with sentences such as this.
We all know the risks when we do it, we shouldnt whinge about it being unfair when we get caught.

 

[iaind]

But who is the rider to decide whats an acceptable risk?

Exactly - I just hope to god I'm not the driver coming the other way when Flukester's doing 170mph, I'm going to be much more worried about the dent in my bonnet than the biker who thought it was a good idea in the first place

 

[Biohazard]

It really isn't a road for 170, look at it on google maps!

Goes from south Edinburgh and snakes south westerly to the border..

 

[Kitchster_uk]

Sorry, doesn't add up. Too many examples of people getting lighter sentences for less. His problems are: 1) he didn't steal the bike and 2) he's a normal, non-scroat member of society who went a bit daft rather than going off joy-riding and sodding the consequences.

 

[mjt]

that does seem slightly excessive. what i don't understand is the complete inconsistency when it comes to prosecutions. why not make some rules where speed x on road y = ban z
instead of having people who run from the police get away with a slap on the wrist and some bloke on a bike having fun an on empty road having the book thrown at him

 

["andy"]

our whole legal system needs binning and starting again. its rubbish. really rubbish

 

[SlyReaper]

Another casualty in the relentless war against speed.

 

[Von Smallhausen]

There is a difference between speeding and dangerous driving and 160 mph is a pretty good example of dangerous driving.

Personally, I don't think he should have got 9 months when burglars and violent people in society don't get anything like that.

A hefty ban and fine is sufficient although Scottish traffic law is more punitive than that of England.

 

[mjt]

Another casualty in the relentless war against speed.

160mph is pretty fast!
we all like to have a bit of fun and go fast sometimes, but doing 160mph on an empty motorway is ridiculous, let alone an A road..

 

[Meridian]

Another casualty in the relentless war against speed.

Again: he wasn't sentenced for speeding, he was sentenced for Dangerous Driving.



M

 

[Freefaller]

160mph is pretty fast!
we all like to have a bit of fun and go fast sometimes, but doing 160mph on an empty motorway is ridiculous, let alone an A road..

Ooops

 

[Fireskull]

Will a triumph to 160?....

 

[Rroff]

Bit I was thinking of is actually the A72 past Cardrona I think - can't think of anywhere on the A702 that would be remotely sensible for 160+ mph.

 

[Foghorn Leghorn]

9 months and a 5 year ban, there but for the grace of god.....

I think most of us who've owned a 600cc sports bike or above will have hit speeds close or above that. But to think that you could end up with close to a year in pokey for speeding is a sobering thought.

There seems to have been a few high profile judgements against speeders (mainly bikers) this year and it does seem like the sentences are getting harsher. Not surprising though really, we've been taking the p for years, throwing ourselves into the scenery and killing ourselves in great numbers, we don't do ourselves any favours.

Fog

 

[mjt]

Ooops

i guess it's different for bikes though because you can reach and then brake from those speeds in seconds. i probably would too if i had a bike.
certainly gone flat out in cars, but it takes so much longer than a bike

i suppose the key is not to get caught, which should be easy on a bike

 

[stockhausen]

Actually, Neil Perv was not sentenced for speeding but for dangerous driving which he admitted . . . the fact that he was a "hairdresser" may possibly have made matters worse for him

Without drifting off into the inadequacy of other sentences for other criminal activity, and bearing in mind the deterrent value of such a sentence, what sentence do people think would be appropriate?