Derbyshire ‘Stealth Bomber’ e-bike rider fined for uninsured trip

Officers spotted Ivor Pagdin riding the £4,000 'Stealth Bomber', which can reach speeds of up to 50mph, along a path beside the River Maun, in Mansfield, on September 9, last year.

Alexis Mercer, prosecuting, said Pagdin, aged 54, was traced to a nearby coffee shop where he confirmed the bike was his, but refused to give his name.

He claimed it was an electric-assisted pedal bike but there was no sign of a chain or pedals, and Pagdin became ‘obstructive’.

He denied it was a mechanically-propelled bike, which are illegal to ride without insurance, and refused to provide his insurance details.

Ms Mercer said that, at one point, Pagdin tried to claim he was simply ‘coasting’ on the e-bike, but the officer had body-worn camera footage showing him moving along the footpath without assistance.

When Pagdin finally did give his name, checks showed he was banned from driving in August last year. However, because he wasn't seen riding on a public road he isn't liable to be prosecuted for driving while disqualified, Ms Mercer added.

Pagdin, of Poplar Drive, Glapwell, didn't attend Mansfield Magistrates Court on Tuesday to enter a plea and he was convicted of driving without insurance in his absence.

He was fined £660 and ordered to pay £85 in court costs. His driving licence was endorsed with six penalty points.