Speeding biker jailed for six monthsMonday, March 2 11:58 am
A motorcyclist who was caught speeding at 122mph with his 14-year-old son on the back has been jailed for six months.
Robert Bennett was also banned from the road for 18 months when he appeared at Exeter Crown Court.
Judge Phillip Wassall told 47-year-old Bennett police footage of him was "unbelievable".
Bennett was caught by a police camera on the A361 North Devon link road with his son riding pillion on his 1300cc Suzuki.
Bennett, who was divorced from the boy's mother, had just picked him up from his mother's for a visit in April last year.
He had opened the throttle because it started to rain but a police officer sitting in a van activated the camera when he heard the bike accelerating towards a bend.
The device clocked the speed and also picked up an image of his son, who was not wearing protective trousers or gloves, clutching the back of the seat with his bare hands.
Bennett's barrister David Sapiecha said his client had ridden at that speed for no more than half a mile on the 60mph two lane carriageway.
Mr Sapiecha told the judge that Bennett had been riding bikes on and off road since he was a youngster but regretted his actions that day.
He is likely to serve half of the six month sentence but will have to take an extended driving test at the end of his disqualification.
Judge Wassall told him: "Had you lost control the motorcycle would have become a missile and it is certain there would have been a serious accident or highly probably the death of a least one other road user.
"Added to that fact you had your 14-year-old son on the back.
"The lack of responsibility is unbelievable. This is so dangerous that the court cannot avoid a custodial sentence, to send a message out."
Speaking outside court PC Duncan Russell from Devon and Cornwall Safety Camera Partnership said: "Robert Bennett accepted that what he did was dangerous and the sentence passed by the court today reflects how serious this incident was.
"He was lucky his actions did not lead to anyone being hurt. Had he lost control of his motorcycle at that speed the result I'm sure would have been fatal.
"If anyone has a high-powered motorcycle and they want to ride quickly please go to the comparative safety of a race track, do not do it on public roads."
122 mph, in the rain, with his lad on the back?!!!!!
Admire yr verbal restraint, Silvi, but let's call a spade a spade...
This maniac is a disgrace, a total and utter complete wa*ker.
6 months? - lucky he wasn't banned for life as well.
Agree with you all - no editing on this topic! ;-)
Speed, rain etc... not bothered, it's his life. But with his 14 year old son on the back!!! Without protection!!! What a prick. He shouldn't be allowed to ride again.
I do like the way though that the report highlights the fact that the kid wasn't wearing gloves.
Don't get me wrong, I always wear full gear out on the bike, allowing myself the comfort of kevlar lined jeans for commuting only.
But come on, if owt had happened, what's the likelihood of the kid getting up and saying "I'm glad I was wearing my gloves, I'd have been surely killed otherwise"?
Saying that, the guy's a pillock!
even a short trip with no gloves or decent trouser's can result in scraped knee's scuffed hand's [ask cassie an angell] so he really cares nowt for the lad probably that thick he forgot he was on the back!!
Agree about the gloves but won't stop him breaking his neck. Blokes a twat,simple as that. Thats why we have a bad reputation. People see that all the time and remember it.
I agree the blokes a idiot, not fit to be a father, and let me just say i always ensure my pillions are properley equiped -
However on a purely legal basis i'll be interested to see how the appeal goes, you are only required to wear a helmet by law, nothing about about gloves or anything else( Does not make it right i know), he's caught bang to right on the speeding,no arguement there.
Will we now see all these nutters riding about in shorts & t-shirts during the summer being nicked? i doubt it.
I think they have been looking to make an example of a high speed biker, anyone in the habit of going everywhere at a 100+ (be honest we've all met one) had better like prison food, the legal precedent has been set.
He may be all of the above but why jail him he isnt a danger to anyone.
They are letting criminals out early as no space for them.
What about the coppers son who didnt even get a ban for 130+ on the M5 and he had been done before for running a red light.
Double standards and anti bike hysteria by the media
I agree he should be banned and he is lucky he aint Married to my ex she would have ripped my B***s off if was ever stupid enough to be doing that speed with my nipper on the back
Court is blasted after son of cop worker escapes ban for doing 135mph in motorway police chase
A young driver caught charging down the motorway at 135mph escaped a ban after his ex-cop dad put in a word for him.
Road safety campaigners yesterday blasted magistrates who let off Adam Stammers, 23, with just eight penalty points and a £200 fine.
Stammers was overtaking M5 traffic on the wrong side in his Alfa Romeo 156 when he passed an unmarked police car. Traffic cops had to speed up to 145mph to catch up with him. After three miles he pulled off.
Stammers, who already had three penalty points for jumping a red light, was not charged with dangerous driving but admitted careless driving.
Dad Wayne Stammers, a cop for 17 years and now a police support worker, gave a character reference. Amer Hussain, defending him, told Ludlow magistrates, that his dad and other relatives worked for West Mercia police. But safety group Brake said: "The question is, should he have been charged with careless driving?
"Surely going at 135 mph is much more serious. If that's not dangerous driving then what is?" Stammers' dad said yesterday: "At no time did the police officer deem his driving to be dangerous. Adam made a stupid mistake which he has been rightly punished for.
"I would like to think the fact I work for the police force had no bearing on the magistrates' decision."
Trainee site engineer Stammers, of Drakes Broughton, Worcs, lists his interests on Facebook as "Cars/ bikes ...and anything that will get my adrenaline going".
He has sold his Alfa and now has a modest Peugeot 206. He said: "I am very fortunate not to be banned. It was a stupid thing for me to do.
"It was one rash action which I have been punished for.
"I have to drive like an angel because if I make one more mistake, I will get banned."
I have to agree with everyone on this guy. For all i care he could have been banned for life. He deserves no better!! I felt for the kid though if anything went wrong while at that speed on a wet tarmac.. What an inconsiderate, selfish Idiot!!! M
I know that road. no way on gods green earth would he take that bend at anywhere like 122mph. Also a bike traveling at that velocity in the wet kicks up way more spray than that. He would also have had to brake for the bend quite hard, he didn't. I think the video evidence is flawed. I may be wrong but doing what I do for a living something just didn't look right. the camera even displayed an error.
The bloke is still a top plank for not kitting his kid out though.
I hadn't looked at the video until you posted that GH. I'm no expert but I agree with you, that doesn't look anywhere near that speed, he seems no faster than the other traffic on the road.
I take it all back!! Just watched the video and that is nowhere near 122mph!!
More like 60 to be honest!! There is footage of a small white car following and that is clearly doing a similar speed and by the looks of it I'd be impressed if it could do 85mph, let alone 120!!
The guy obviously had a hopeless solicitor if that's what convicted him. Ok, yeah, not getting your pillion kitted up is irresponsible in my opinion, but it ain't illegal.
Be interested to hear all the details, may do a bit of investigation!!
Seen an artical in the scarmongering papers yesterday on the Suzi Bus Most of it looks like it was lifted from Wikipedia but the last bit says the Bikes top speed is 220 MPH.
Im sure they are restricted to 186
Looks to be Why let facts get in the way of a story.
Even the guys ex wife thinks the sentence is overly harsh and if anybody has an interest in the nippers safety it would be her
I have to agree this guy is a moron....for not having his kid properly togged up. I also agree that when I saw the video I didn't think he looked to be doing the speed they claimed, as he didn't seem to be going that much faster than everyone else.
And I think the kid in the alfa should have been banned!
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