A nuisance Darlington biker who 'plagued' the town's roads by riding on the wrong side of the road has been brought to justice after showing his exploits on his TikTok account.
Kane Tilney regularly drove in Darlington with his dangerous biking, riding on pavements, on the wrong side of the road, and without a helmet.
Police got wind of the offences after the 23-year-old filmed himself doing so and uploaded the videos to TikTok, providing police with a thorough record of his offending and what officers have called "a treasure trove of evidence" against him.
Kane Tilney posting to TikTok (Image: DURHAM POLICE)
He was arrested in February this year and charged with around 20 offences in total, including dangerous driving, driving without a licence, driving with no insurance, and failing to wear protective headgear.
Tilney, of Salisbury Terrace, Darlington, was also charged with assaulting an emergency worker and using threatening and abusive words or behaviour.
A biker riding down the stairs in Sainsbury's Darlington (Image: DURHAM POLICE)
He admitted the offences and appeared at Teesside Crown Court on November 10, where he was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for 24 months.
He was also disqualified from driving for two years, must complete 200 hours of unpaid work, and pay £100 compensation.
Anti-social bike riding in Sainsbury's Darlington (Image: DURHAM POLICE)
Inspector Matt Plumb, from Darlington Neighbourhood Police Team, said: “Tilney is a prolific offender who has plagued the streets of Darlington with his dangerous and illegal riding.
“By filming himself committing these offences and uploading them to TikTok, he clearly thought he was above the law and could do what he liked – but it ultimately led to his downfall.
“PC Paul Foley from the town team invested a significant amount of time and investigative effort to gather extensive evidence to charge Tilney with these offences and put him before the courts, where he had no choice but to plead guilty.
Recommended reading:
- County Durham woman's help for niece left paralysed by ex-boyfriend who kidnapped her
- North East Christmas Light Switch Ons 2023- get festive!
Get the latest news, sports, and entertainment delivered straight to your device with a subscription to The Northern Echo. Click here
“We understand and share the community’s frustrations with these riders who terrorise communities with their brazen disregard for the law, and for their fellow road users or pedestrians.
“I hope this result shows that we will not tolerate this type of offending and will do everything we can to tackle these people and bring a stop to their offending.
“If you have any information on nuisance bikers in your area then let us know – we will take action.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel