Thorpe Market drink-driver who took motorbike and rode it with no helmet said it was ‘best five minutes of my life’

A north Norfolk man took a motorbike and rode it without a helmet while above the drink-drive limit in 'five minutes of madness'.

Peter Freestone, 33, went into a garden in Aylsham where he saw a Honda CBR 600 motorbike in a shed with the keys in it and decided to take it for a ride.

Lisa Britton, prosecuting at Norwich Magistrates Court, said that he was seen by police riding the bike without a helmet and riding the wrong way down the road. He was followed to Norwich Road where he stopped and provided a positive breath test.

His reading was 70 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

He admitted taking the bike, which was damaged, and said: 'It was the best five minutes of my life.'

Freestone appeared at court on Thursday to be sentenced, having previously admitted driving with excess alcohol, aggravated vehicle taking, driving with no insurance and without protective headgear.

Sentencing Freestone, chairman of the bench Helen Copperthwaite said: 'I'm afraid those five minutes of excitement have got you into a lot of trouble. It's just lucky that no-one was injured in your five minutes of madness.'

Freestone, of Cromer Road, Thorpe Market, was given a 12-month community order with 12 months supervision. He was banned from driving for 18 months.

Michael Cole, in mitigation, said he was seeking help for his drinking.