Drink shame of bike instructor who kept falling

A MOTORCYCLE instructor was so drunk that she fell off her bike three times as she gave a pupil a lesson.

When police arrested 46-year-old Sandra Kenyon after her third fall they found two brandy bottles in her motorcycle jacket – one empty and one three-quarters full. She was four times over the alcohol limit, a court heard.

The mother-of-two, who had worked for her riding school for nine years, was giving a lesson to learner Philip Hopkins in Bradford on March 3.

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Bingley Magistrates Court heard on Tuesday that shortly after setting off Kenyon dropped her bike and needed help picking it up. She then fell as she approached a set of traffic lights and again on a roundabout.

On the last occasion, her pupil heard her cry out through the headphone link: "Ow, I've hurt my leg."

Kenyon, of Northedge Park, Hipperholme, near Halifax, admitted riding a motorcycle with excess alcohol. The court was told she had 131microgrammes of alcohol in 100millilitres of breath, almost four times the limit of 35mcg.

Presiding magistrate Ian Cowling warned Kenyon that she could be facing a prison sentence or a lengthy community order.

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He told Kenyon the result of her actions while in such a state as she rode through the city centre at 10.30am could have been "catastrophic."

Nadine Clough, prosecuting, said Kenyon "dropped" her motorcycle and needed help to get back on as they set off.

Miss Clough said: "Driving towards a roundabout and approaching the traffic lights, Kenyon was on the floor again and needed help with the bike.

"She seemed to be shaking and apologised, saying it was the first time she had dropped the bike."

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Mr Hopkins and Kenyon carried on towards Shipley but, as he approached another roundabout, Mr Hopkins could not see her following. Then he heard over the radio link the cry "Ow, my legs."

He turned round and went back and saw Kenyon on the ground with people around her.

When police arrived and removed her motorcycle jacket they found two bottles of French brandy, one empty and the other opened with a quarter of the drink missing.

Kenyon told officers the empty bottle had been consumed the day before and she had only had a mouthful that day.

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"When interviewed, she told officers she needed help," Miss Clough told the hearing.

The Bench was told that Kenyon, was no longer working as an instructor. She had depression and was taking medication and occasionally used alcohol to assist her problem.

After the hearing, Roger Stanley, of Ridesafe Motorcycle School, based in Bradford, said that Kenyon was sacked on the day of the offence.

He said: "We have very high standards and I was disgusted with what happened."

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Kenyon worked for Ridesafe for nine years on a sub-contract basis, said Mr Stanley.

Sentence was adjourned until next month. Kenyon was given an interim driving ban.

Kenyon, speaking at her home yesterday, refused to elaborate on the incident but said: "Everything was explained in court.

"I made a terrible mistake, I have never done anything like this before."

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