A French TT marshal has been fined £500 for dangerous driving and banned from driving for 12 months.

Thierry Francois Barthelemy was seen by police riding his BMW motorcycle at speeds in excess of 80mph and performing dangerous overtakes in Cronk y Voddy.

Magistrates also ordered the 65-year-old to take an extended test at the end of the ban.

The ban will apply in the Isle of Man and the UK.

Prosecuting advocate Rebecca Cubbon told the court that a police officer was on an unmarked motorbike on May 31, at 9.30pm, when he saw Barthelemy riding his white BMW motorbike towards Kirk Michael on the main A3 road.

He was behind him and witnessed the Frenchman travelling in excess of 80mph and performing overtakes, one of which was on a bend where he had no view of vehicles approaching.

He was subsequently stopped and arrested for dangerous driving.

Ms Cubbon said that no forfeiture and destruction order was being made for the bike and there was no exclusion order request.

The court heard that Barthelemy was given a conditional discharge and 10 penalty points while on the island last year, for speeding at 95mph in a 50mph zone.

Defence advocate Stephen Wood said that his client had had to continue living in a tent with his wife here, while awaiting the court proceedings.

Mr Wood asked for the case to be dealt with on the day, as he said any adjournment for reports would take another six weeks.

The advocate said that he had agreed to represent Barthelemy pro-bono (without a fee), to help the matter be dealt with more swiftly, as he said a legal aid application would have only delayed matters.

Mr Wood said that the period of riding was relatively brief, and that Barthelemy said that he did have some view on the bends.

‘He had been at his spot marshalling. He tells me he had spent all day there and only had one thing on his mind, to get back for a shower.

‘He accepts his driving fell below the standard reasonably expected.’

Mr Wood said that neither he or Barthelemy had seen the video of the riding, but the Frenchman had been prepared to accept the police officer’s word.

The advocate said that, bearing in mind his client lived in France, he could not do a community-based penalty, so the only options were a fine or a custodial sentence, which could be suspended.

‘He came over to help the island with the smooth running of the TT. He came last year too and hopes to come again,’ said Mr Wood.

The advocate said that Barthelemy had been bailed by police with a condition not to drive, so had then had to cycle to his marshalling spot which had caused him significant embarrassment and attracted comments from his co-marshals.

Magistrates also ordered Barthelemy, who lives at Rue Du Beauregard, Champagne-Sur-Oise, to pay £125 prosecution costs, which he must pay, along with the fine, forthwith.