MASERATI MAN’S SNOWDONIA MISS
DRIVER BANNED FOR 12 MONTHS AFTER ALMOST HITTING BIKER
AMAN who narrowly missed an oncoming motorcyclist on a Snowdonia road has been banned from driving for 12 months.
Michael William Roberts had denied driving the Maserati Gran Turismo, a powerful Italian supercar capable of speeds in excess of 140mph, dangerously.
But magistrates at Caernarfon found him guilty of the charge.
The 69 year-old, of Aldersgate Street, London, was also ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £2,425 and must retake his driving test before getting back behind the wheel. An application to suspend the disqualification pending an appeal was rejected.
Bench chairman Alastair Langdown said: “From the visual evidence we believe there was a sufficient gap for Roberts to have pulled into after overtaking a vehicle and avoid the motorcycle.
“We find your driving fell far below that of a careful and competent driverer andand find you guilty ofof dangerous driv-ving,” he said.
Roberts was driving the car from Porthmadog to Shrewsbury and was on the A4212 at Llyn Celyn, near Bala, on Octoberr 15 last year.
He overtookk aa vehicle towing a caravan and was keen to pass another vehicle. Car driver Sean Taylor told the court he saw Roberts pull out to check the road ahead on several occasions. But the first he knew of his overtaking manoeuvre was when he was alongside his Honda vehicle. Prosec Prosecutor Sarah Marsh said his vehicle was w fitted with a da dash cam and footage fo from it w was shown to the court. It showed the blue Maserati on the wrong side of the road as the motorcycle approached, narrowly missing the car.
The rider, who has not been traced, was seen to raise his hand as the two vehicles passed.
Roberts then momentarily pulled into the left-hand side before overtaking other vehicles pulling in as he neared a righthand bend.
Karen Taylor, a front-seat passenger in the Honda, said she was able to see the approaching motorbike and was aware the Maserati was overtaking.
She said she had closed her eyes fearing there was going to be an accident.
Roberts told the court he had carefully considered the situation and had drawn up a plan to overtake without breaking the 60mph speed limit or using the brakes and intended to pull into the nearside lane in front of the Honda. He told defence solicitor Tudur Owen he believed the Honda driver had speeded up slightly during his manoeuvre and the vehicle in front had braked, causing the gap to close, and he had to revise his plan.
Roberts also claimed when he began the manoeuvre the motorbike was not in sight.
He added he believed the biker was riding at high speed.
He believed the raising of his arm was the rider’s admission that he was riding too fast.
Roberts said he had been driving for more than 50 years and had only a small number of motoring offences to his name.
After finding he was being prosecuted he had enrolled in an advanced motoring course.