Dramatic video has been released showing a police motorcycle rider chasing three youngsters on off-road bikes who were causing "mayhem" on the streets of Swansea. The riders were pursued from Swansea Marina to Mumbles where they raced through the village on a busy Saturday night overtaking vehicles at speed, going through red traffic lights, and riding on the wrong side of the road.
Police successfully deployed a "stinger" device to puncture the tyres on the unregistered scrambler bikes but Keiran Paton, Fraser Saunders, and Joshua Miller - aged 18, 19, and 20 respectively - rode on at breakneck speeds before eventfully being caught near Blackpill Lido. The trio were sentenced at Swansea Crown Court after pleading guilty to dangerous driving, with the judge saying the message needed to be heard loud and clear that those who gets their "kicks" from riding bikes on the streets of the city with no regard for the safety of other road users can expect prison sentences. You can read the full details of the case, and what the defendants' barristers said on their behalf, here.
The dramatic footage released by South Wales Police was captured by the pursing office's body-worn camera as he rode an unmarked motorcycle. The video also captures the moment the police's "stinger" device burst the tyres on the scrambler bikes. For the latest court reports, sign up to our crime newsletter here
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Joshua Miller, of Llangorse Road, Penlan, Swansea, Keiron Paton, of Pen y Mor Road, Penlan, Swansea, and Fraser Saunders, of Cockett Road, Cockett, Swansea, all pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and driving without insurance. Saunders had also pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified and Miller and Paton to driving without a licence. Paton further admitted handling stolen goods - checks showed the bike he was riding had previously been stolen from Brighton. None of the defendants have any previous convictions - Saunders' disqualification came as an automatic revocation of his licence by the DVLA after he picked up six penalty points for speeding on the motorway within two years of passing his test. The defendants were given suspended prison sentences and disqualified from driving, and must complete a rehabilitation course and abide by a nightly curfew for the next three months. You can read the sentencing judge's remarks here.
Speaking after the sentencing sergeant Richard Coulthard of South Wales Police's territorial crime team said: "Tackling the criminal use of both road registered and unregistered off-road motorcycles and their anti-social and illegal use is an important priority for all officers. We work to ensure that nobody is hurt by these bikes being ridden dangerously at high-speed.
"The last thing we want is to be called to the scene of a road traffic collision where somebody has been injured or worse. Aside from the personal safety to the riders, their pillion passengers and the general public along with the noise nuisance aspects, the riders are committing road traffic offences such as driving without insurance or MOT each time they ride on the road.
"There appears to be a perception that the police are unable to stop and detain these riders, who flout the laws and cause danger to themselves and others. Our highly trained officers may however be authorised to make use of numerous tactics to safely stop these machines and detain the riders and put them before the courts."
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