A MOTORCYCLIST has been handed a jail sentence for a failed wheelie which left him in hospital.
Scott McDonald, 24, was spotted by police dangerously riding a motocross bike nearby to a group of young children on Glenconnor Drive, Dundee, on June 17 last year.
The police, who were in the area on an unrelated matter, claimed McDonald, who was banned from driving at the time, was standing upright on the bike and driving at speeds of up to 60mph.
While performing the stunt, McDonald lost control and came flying off his bike before rolling about 30ft.
Presenting the case for the prosecution at Dundee Sheriff Court yesterday, depute fiscal Laura Bruce said: “The accused began to perform a wheelie manoeuvre. He lost control of the bike, it flipped repeatedly and resulted in him coming off.
“He rolled about 20 to 30ft screaming in pain and crawled to the pavement. The front of his shoe was ripped off, his toes were protruding and he was bleeding.”
The youth was taken to hospital, where he required an operation after the crash.
Defending, solicitor Ross Donnelly said that repairing bikes was McDonald’s hobby, and he had been showing his parents the work he had done on the bike. However, he admitted, his client had been “showing off”. In response to this statement, Sheriff Alastair Brown quipped: “Has he ever considered growing tomatoes? It might be safer for everyone.”
Donnelly added: “To some extent I would hope a lesson and a valuable lesson has been learned with the pain and discomfort that he has been put through.”
McDonald, of Blacklock Crescent, pleaded guilty to driving dangerously at excessive speed for the road conditions, in a built-up area, driving with his front wheel lifted from the ground, losing control of the motorbike and falling off the motorbike.
He was jailed for nine months and banned from the roads for 32 months, with Sheriff Brown commenting: “It is simply good fortune that you did not kill children.”
McDonald reportedly sobbed in the dock, saying “please, man” before throwing an item behind the dock and into the public gallery.
