A man has been fined after he was caught cycling along a motorway when drunk, while on his way to see his gran in hospital.
Aaron Quinn pulled over by police as he rode his bike on the slip road onto the M60 earlier this year, with officers smelling alcohol in his breath.
The 28-year-old from Warrington was found to have almost twice the legal drink driving limit in his blood, according to the Manchester Evening News, and was charged with being in control of a bike while under the influence, being excluded from traffic on a motorway, and two offences of riding without retroreflectors.
Quinn pleaded guilty to the offences at Manchester Magistrates’ Court and was fined £100 and ordered to pay £119 court costs.
During the sentencing, Manchester JP Mrs Johnston said: “To be honest, this is a really unusual offence, I don’t think we’ve ever seen this before.
“You put your own life in danger here, that’s the thing we want you to take home.”
Quinn responded: “I ain’t gonna be doing this again at all.”
The incident happened on February 25, as Quinn was seen cycling down the slip road onto the M60 motorway, wearing all black with no lights illuminated on his bike.
After other motorists reported Quinn to the police, officers pulled in front of Quinn near junction 17 of the motorway.
Officers could smell alcohol on his breath, the court heard, and following a roadside breath test Quinn was found to have 60 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - nearly double the legal driving limit of 35.
Quinn, of Heather Close, Birchwood, then told officers that he was cycling along the motorway to get to Warrington because his grandmother had been admitted to hospital.
At the scene he admitted to drinking two lagers, two ciders “and a few other bits.”
The court heard that on the day of the offence Quinn had discovered his gran had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
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Quinn’s legal representative Suzanne Dooley said: “He accepts he started drinking and the reason why he was on the motorway was he was making an attempt to cycle to see [his grandmother].
“He accepts he was extremely upset and wasn’t thinking straight.”
Quinn has 26 previous convictions, including travelling on a railway without paying, being drunk and disorderly, and assaulting an emergency worker.
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