Wheelie bid biker wins court battle

A Shropshire motorcyclist who entered the World's Fastest Wheelie competition has been cleared of dangerous driving after practising death-defying manoeuvres on a Telford industrial estate.

Barry Brittain, 31, of Dunsheath, Telford, was found not guilty after a trial at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday. He had denied driving his Honda motorcycle dangerously on Stafford Park 10 on March 6 last year.

The jury found him not guilty of dangerous driving and not guilty of an alternative charge of careless driving.

Judge Robin Onions told Mr Brittain: "Skilled though you are there is a place and a time for everything and a public road is not the place for wheelies. I fully support the jury's verdict but none of us know when to expect the unexpected."

The jury was shown CCTV footage of Brittain riding up and down a road on Stafford Park 10 five times doing manoeuvres at a speed of about 30mph, including doing wheelies while sitting on the tank of his motorcycle with his legs hanging forward over the handlebars.

But Brittain, who entered the World's Fastest Wheelie competition in York last August and recorded a speed of 110mph, said he was always in control of the bike.

In interview he told police he had a long history of interest in motorcycles and wanted to enhance his control and self skill.

He told the jury he did not believe he was on a public road at the time and had chosen a "quiet" location.

And speaking after the case the HGV truck driver, who works for Simmonds Transport in Telford, said he was relieved at the verdict.

"The case has been hanging over me for 10 months and at worst I could have gone to prison or lost my job because driving is my livelihood," he said.

"I am just elated that it was a not guilty verdict. In my eyes I was practising in a sensible and safe location but in hindsight perhaps I could have chosen somewhere more suitable."

The jury heard modifications to the motorcycle meant in first gear it could not exceed about 30mph.

Brittain said he was in first gear throughout the incident and had he fallen off it would have caused minimal damage to himself or the bike.

By Rhea Parsons