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2008-10-21 09:24:06
David Byers
A motorcyclist who posted footage of himself on YouTube performing "lunatic and
grossly irresponsible manoeuvres" at up to 130mph was today jailed for 12 weeks
today.
Sandor Ferenci, 28, performed wheelies, skids and raced on the opposite side of
the road around Banbury, Oxfordshire, and then put the footage on the
video-sharing website.
Ferenci, a carer, then inadvertently spilt the beans to police about the
YouTube footage after being reported by a member of the public who saw him
performing wheelies and other stunts on his Yamaha R6 bike on the A422 Banbury
to Brackley road on June 10 this year.
When officers called at his home after the complaint, and before they had a
chance to say anything to him, Ferenci asked them: Is this about the YouTube
video? Police then discovered that he had posted the video clips of himself on
the internet.
The footage, which was played to the court, had been filmed by a friend from
various angles including from a footbridge. It shows the bike performing
wheelies, wheelspins and skids, causing the tyres to smoke, the bike
undertaking other vehicles and driving at excessive speed.
Brian Payne, prosecuting, said it was impossible to attribute an exact speed at
which Ferenci was driving, but police have estimated he may have reached up to
130mph.
Judge Terence Maher - disqualifying Ferenci from driving for two years at
Oxford Crown Court and ordering him to take an extended driving test before he
is allowed on the road again - told Ferenci that he had carried out lunatic
and grossly irresponsible manoeuvres at considerable speed .
Sgt Bryan Smith, of Thames Valley Police, said: "It's important to qualify that
we are talking about public roads and they are there as a transport network,
not a race track or show ground.
"It's incredibly dangerous. A trophy video has been used on the internet and it
could incite other road users to behave in the same way."