NO HELMET NO LICENCE: Dirt bike rider caught on Bowen road

A Bowen man as been told to ‘stop putting his life at risk’ after he rode past police with no helmet

General, generic stock photo of mud debris flying from a rear tyre of a trail bike during a motocross dirt bike race. Photo: iStock – Getty Images.

A MAGISTRATE has told a man to ‘stop putting his life at risk’ after he rode an unregistered and uninsured dirt bike through Bowen without a helmet.

Bowen man, Halen Roger Lee McLennan, 25, pleaded guilty to four traffic charges — driving without a licence, riding an unregistered and uninsured bike and not wearing a helmet — which arose from an incident along Lower Don Road, Bowen on January 12, 2020.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Emma Myors said about 3.55pm police were patrolling along Lower Don Road when they saw McLennan ride past on a black motorbike, with no number plates displayed and not wearing a helmet.

When police intercepted the motorbike, McLennan said he had no licence.

Police investigations found he held only a learner licence and the motorbike was a model unable to be registered.

“He said he was only riding the road to get to the Don River and didn’t realise it was a road,” Sgt Myors said.

“The bike didn’t have indicators and cannot be registered.”

When Magistrate James Morton asked McLennan why he wasn’t wearing a helmet, he said it was left at his grandparents’ house.

McLennan told the court the motorbike was his younger brother’s Honda CRF450 and was only for off-road use.

“That’s not a small bike, 450cc, it’s quite a large bike,” Mr Morton said.

“Come off that, even on the sand, and your life is at risk. Don’t risk it and wear a helmet.”

Mr Morton fined McLennan $500 with no conviction recorded, and suspended his licence for three months.

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