A 22-year-old man from Newport has been sentenced to a community order after being caught riding a Surron e-bike while disqualified from driving.
Oliver Cooper, of Whitcombe Road, Gatcombe, appeared before the Isle of Wight Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (7th November), where he admitted to driving whilst disqualified.
The offence occurred on Wellington Road, Newport, on 28th May this year when Cooper was stopped by Police for riding an electric motorcycle on a footpath.
Magistrates handed Cooper a 12-month community order with a requirement to complete 100 hours of unpaid work. This is in addition to the hours already imposed by the Crown Court on 30th June 2025 in relation to an incident involving a BB gun.
Cooper’s driving record was endorsed with 6 penalty points.
He was also ordered to pay £85 in prosecution costs and a £114 victim surcharge. All payments must be made in full by 28th February 2026.
This latest outcome will surely be as effective as the last one.
When are our magistrates going to ossue more appropriate sentences than this for repeat offenders.
Clearly this will not stop the idiots who have no regard for the laws of the land and what disqualified means.
I could not agree more, serial offenders only respond to really harsh punishments, small fines and points on a licence are shrugged off.
On the topic of illegal electric motorbikes and scooters, they are rife.
These need targeting and the vehicles crushed.
They are a real menace and often linked to other crimes..
At least the Island police are actually doing something about it, even though it is only small. The mainland police do a big fat nothing.