A motorcyclist reached speeds of over 100mph in Nottingham before losing control on a bend and crashing.
Joshua Kirby spent several minutes travelling at high speed on his motorbike in an attempt to evade police. The rider repeatedly exceeded double the speed limit, putting other road users in danger.
Kirby initially came to the attention of response officers when they saw him travelling the wrong way around a Broxtowe roundabout.
This occurred on 31 August 2024, at around 10.20pm, with the 35-year-old ignoring orders to stop and instead speeding away from police.
After being out of sight for a short time, Kirby was spotted on Nottingham Road, Nuthall, by Operational Support officers, who activated their blue lights. Kirby once again failed to stop, increasing his speed and making several dangerous overtakes in an attempt to escape.
The rider was clocked travelling well over the legal limit several times – at one point reaching speeds of over 100mph in a 50mph zone.
His escape came to an abrupt end, however, when Kirby misjudged a bend while travelling through the village of Moorgreen.
When officers caught up with the bike, they found it badly damaged in the middle of Dovecote Road, but its rider was nowhere to be seen.
After making a determined effort to avoid capture, Kirby – who had sustained injuries after crashing into a tree – was detained nearby. He suffered a fractured spine, broken ribs, and a dislocated shoulder.
The motorbike’s details were checked through the police system, and it was found that Kirby was using cloned plates.
Kirby, of Easegill Court, Top Valley, appeared at Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on Friday (29 November 2024), having pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, and driving without insurance.
He was also found to have breached a suspended sentence order.
Kirby was jailed for two years and eight months. He was also banned from driving for five years and two months and must pass an extended driving re-test before he is eligible to drive again.
PC Natalie Short, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“The appallingly bad bike riding standards Kirby displayed that night put everyone on the roads with him in danger.
“Over the course of several minutes, he ignored multiple orders from police to pull over and instead sped his motorbike up to more than double the legal limit.
“One example of this saw Kirby exceed 100mph, despite being in a 50mph zone at the time, which is clearly completely unacceptable.
“He suffered serious injuries as a result of his actions, and it’s fortunate he didn’t cause any injury to others sharing the roads with him.
“We are pleased to see Kirby own up to what he did and face the consequences.”
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