Newcastle e-scooter students banned for drink-riding

Joseph Vesey, Jamie Swain, Rian Dunne, George Richardson, William Attridge, William McMullen (from top left to bottom right)

Six students have been banned from the road for being over the legal alcohol limit while using e-scooters.

Police stopped the men riding in Jesmond over the course of several hours on 25 February.

Residents had previously complained about people using the new orange for-hire scooters dangerously and in an anti-social manner, magistrates heard.

The e-scooters, part of a pilot scheme, have since been switched off so they cannot be used overnight.

The men received bans of between six to 30 months, plus fines.

One student, George Richardson, 20, was almost four times over the drink-drive limit, North Tyneside Magistrates' Court was told.

He and William Attridge, 19, were stopped by police riding in circles in the middle of the road, the court heard.

Another was caught with someone else on the back of the scooter - in contravention of the rules - when he was stopped and found to be over the limit.

Jamie Swain, 21, was banned for six months after the district judge accepted he had only intended to ride 300-400m home.

The court was told members of the legal profession did not know e-scooters were covered by the same drink-drive rules as other vehicles

Magistrates issued the following penalties:

• Joseph Vesey, 22, of Devonshire Place, Jesmond, admitted drink-driving. He was banned from driving for 12 months and must pay £239 in fines and costs

• Jamie Swain, 21, from Bayswater Road, Jesmond, admitted drink-driving. He was banned for six months and ordered to pay £319 costs and fines after the judge accepted he was only riding a short distance

• Rian Dunne, 20, of Cavendish Place, Jesmond, admitted failing to provide a specimen and was banned from driving for 12 months and ordered to pay £239 in fines and costs. He wrote to the court to apologise, saying he had embarrassed himself and disappointed his family

• George Richardson, 20, of Stepney Lane, Newcastle, admitted drink-driving. He was banned from driving for 30 months and ordered to pay £319 in costs and fines. His solicitor said he was remorseful and apologetic

• William Attridge, 19, of Stepney Bank, Newcastle, admitted drink-driving. He was banned for 18 months and ordered to pay £239 in fines and costs

• William McMullen, 19, of Falconer Street, Newcastle, admitted drink-driving. He was banned from driving for 12 months and ordered to pay £239 costs and fines

None of the men had previous convictions and five opted to take a rehabilitation course to reduce the length of their ban.

Kate Matthews, defending two students, said even members of the legal profession were not aware they were covered by the same drinking and driving rules as other vehicles.

The scooters were free to ride overnight at the time, she said, and people needed a provisional licence and to read through terms and conditions, something they were unlikely to do in the early hours.

More than 10,000 journeys have been made since the scooters were introduced in February

John Crawford, representing another student, said they had a top speed of 10-15mph, adding: "The risk they pose is significantly lower than that of a car."

Newcastle City Council said the scheme has since been altered and the majority of riders behaved in "a safe and responsible manner".