Grandparents walking home after Hull City match ‘bowled over like skittles’ by biker crashing into them

Two grandparents who had been innocently walking alongside a busy pavement after a night Hull City soccer match had been out of the blue “bowled over like skittles” after an off-road bike crashed into them from behind.

The rider, Luke Scaife, abruptly fell off his bike after being challenged by the police simply seconds earlier than he recklessly knocked the unsuspecting couple down as they walked together with their household.

It was solely by pure luck that “thankfully” they suffered no critical accidents. Scaife was having a “terrible day” and he “doesn’t know what was going through his head at the time”. He had no concept what “possessed him” to journey the bike on the footpath within the first place when so many individuals had been round, Hull Crown Court heard.

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Scaife, 25, of Morpeth Street, off Spring Bank, Hull, admitted harmful driving, having no insurance coverage and having the fallacious class of licence on April 10.

Nigel Clive, prosecuting, stated that Scaife rode an off-road bike alongside a pavement within the busy space of Anlaby Road, west Hull, at about 10pm.

Hull City had been taking part in a soccer match that night and the gang was leaving the stadium. A household, together with the grandparents, who had been having fun with an evening out on the soccer, was close to the flyover and walking previous the bus depot.

Scaife, driving the off-road bike, got here up behind the grandparents on the pavement. “Police tried to grab hold of this defendant as he was riding through the crowds,” stated Mr Clive.

“The defendant was not for stopping and he came off his motorbike a short distance thereafter.” Scaife went into the again of the couple.

“It was either him or the motorbike, perhaps a combination of both, that went into the back of them,” stated Mr Clive. “Both had been knocked down. They had been bowled over like skittles by this defendant.

“It’s by success that they weren’t extra severely injured. This might have been quite a bit worse however, fortunately, it wasn’t.

“Police officers were very close by and they tried to get hold of the defendant but he ran off. They saw him a short distance away later.”

The pace of the bike had been estimated at between 5 and 10mph. “One might have expected far more serious injuries if there had been a more significant speed than that,” stated Mr Clive. The two individuals who had been hit had been left shaken up.

The grandfather suffered a graze to his hip and he had a stiff neck and a sore hand from the affect of falling to the bottom. His accidents had been nonetheless painful. His spouse was shaken up and she or he later stated that the results might have been way more extreme.

“The defendant was saying in interview that he was in a bit of a mood because he was at work,” stated Mr Clive. “He wasn’t insured. He didn’t have a licence. He had not handed any bike coaching in any respect.

“He had the bike for off-road use only but he took it into the road, seemingly to clear his head. He seemed sorry in his interview.”

Scaife had convictions for 12 earlier offences, together with assaults and possessing hashish. He had been locked up for six months in 2021 for assaulting police, together with kicking out and spitting at officers making an attempt to arrest him.

Hannah Turner, mitigating, stated: “What a silly mistake this was. He has expressed his sincere remorse. He doesn’t know what was going through his head at the time.”

Judge Mark Bury replied: “Well, not much, obviously. I don’t know what possessed him.”

Miss Turner stated: “He has realised that he needs to shake up his ideas. His appearance at this court centre has really scared the life out of him.” Scaife had taken steps to vary his life and he had given up hashish. He had beforehand labored as an electrician however now labored part-time. He had a brand new girlfriend.

Scaife advised the courtroom: “I was just having a terrible day. It was a big mistake and it will never happen again. I don’t know what was going through my head.”

Judge Bury advised Scaife: “You cannot be behaving like this. You had been an everyday hashish person earlier than you bought locked up final time and, whereas in jail, you determined to provide it up. Good determination. You want to remain off it.

“You were having a bad day and then you made a foolish decision to get on your off-road bike and have a drive around. You came off your bike into the back of two people who were just making their way home. This could have been a whole lot worse.”

The couple might have banged their head after the accident and will been left useless. “You would be looking at a long time in jail,” stated Judge Bury. “It was incredibly stupid behaviour.”

Scaife was given 10 days’ rehabilitation and a considering abilities programme. He was banned from driving for one 12 months and he should move an prolonged retest earlier than he can drive legally once more. A deprivation order was made for the bike.

“If you come back here, you will need to have a bag packed – so don’t come back here,” stated Judge Bury.