TT fan crashed into van after speeding from police

Police pulled Florian Roux over at Station Road before he sped off through the village

A French TT fan who crashed into a van after fleeing from police on the Isle of Man because he thought he was going to be "hijacked" has been fined £8,000.

Florian Roux, 31, was visiting the island for the first time on 26 May when he was seen riding dangerously by an officer on an unmarked police motorcycle.

Douglas Courthouse heard he claimed he thought he was going to be "hijacked" after being pulled over in Kirk Michael so rode away to get to somewhere "safe" before crashing.

Deemster Graeme Cook also disqualified him from driving on Manx or UK roads for two years and banned him from returning to the island for five.

The court heard Roux was riding his black BMW S 1,000 RR motorcycle in a row of traffic on the TT course in the area of Glen Helen at about 17:20 BST.

An officer on an unmarked bike parked in the area spotted he was "very close" to the car in front on the damp road, giving the impression he was going to overtake, so followed three cars behind.

The court heard the traffic was travelling at about the speed limit of 50mph (80km/h) when Roux overtook up to seven vehicles at "high speed" in one manoeuvre on the Cronk Y Voddy Straight.

Another driver who was travelling on the road at the same time described the actions of the visitor, who was not wearing protective clothing, as "extremely reckless", the court was told.

The Frenchman's riding was communicated to another officer further up the road, who signalled for Roux to stop as he entered Kirk Michael village.

Florian Roux was fined £8,000 and banned from the island for five years

The court heard the visitor pulled over into the entrance of Station Road but rather than follow the officer, he had turned his machine back to the main road to ride away.

The officer on the unmarked bike had by now arrived on the scene and shouted "police" at Roux and gestured with open palms for him to stop, but he instead drove forward crashing into the police motorcycle.

As the officer reached over to hit the kill switch on visitor's machine he sped off at high speed through the village.

The court heard witnesses described him as travelling at a "ridiculously dangerous speed" through the 30mph (48km/h) zone, which was busy with traffic on what was a bank holiday.

Roux crashed into the rear of a van on the exit of the village, leaving him lying face down in the road temporarily.

The court heard he failed a roadside breathalyser, but subsequent blood tests found he was just under the legal limit for alcohol.

The court heard Roux argued he did not speak fluent English and had not heard the officer on the unmarked bike shout "police", so "feared he was going to be hijacked" when the man grabbed his motorcycle clutch.

"I just wanted to get away from the man who was shouting at me and touching my motorcycle," he said.

However, prosecutors said he had ridden away from the officers "due to the risk of further criminality being discovered" in the form of his alcohol consumption.

Roux pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and failing to stop for police.

As well as the fine, he was ordered to pay £400 in compensation for the damage to the police motorcycle and £125 in prosecution costs.