TT fan fined for walking across course during race

Norwegian tourist criticised for his 'stupidity'

Report from BBC Isle of Man

A motorcycling fan who walked across the Isle of Man's TT course during a race has been fined £2,500.

Norwegian tourist Robin Peterson, 27, entered the circuit near Sky Hill during Saturday's Superbike race, in which bikes average 130mph.

Douglas Courthouse heard Peterson tried to jump over a 12ft high hedge but "bounced off" it before returning to the other side of the road.

Magistrates criticised his "stupidity" and "extremely dangerous" actions.

The court heard Peterson had travelled to the Island three days earlier and watched qualifying sessions from the Grandstand in Douglas.

On Saturday he took the bus to Ramsey to watch from another vantage point.

When he arrived in the town he was told he would have difficulty getting to the area of the 'K bend' because it was five fields away.

At about 1.45pm, while the race was in progress, he was seen walking across the road and trying to jump over a hedge.

He then returned to the other side of the road where he was stopped by marshals and reported to police.

The court heard the lifelong road racing fan had saved for five years to afford his first trip to the Isle of Man TT.

He had not been drinking prior to the incident.

Peterson's defence advocate said his client had not known it was illegal to walk on closed roads and thought staying off them was just based on "common sense" when motorbikes were in the area.

Island laws make it illegal to enter the 37.73-mile circuit without permission from the course clerk.

Peterson pleaded guilty to contravening the Road Racing Act 2016 by entering a closed road without reasonable excuse.

Magistrates chairwoman Carol Maddrell said the bench was "amazed" by the 27-year-old's "stupidity" which had put himself and others in danger.

He was also ordered to pay £125 in prosecution costs.