A drunken reveller out on the town enjoying festive celebrations in Tenby has appeared in court after admitting taking a moped parked in the resort on New Year’s Eve and then freewheeling the vehicle down the centre of the town.

Twenty-three-year-old Thomas Lloyd Hope, of Llwyncoed, Merthyr Road, Aberdare, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving a motor vehicle after exceeding the prescribed limit of alcohol; and a further charge of taking the vehicle without consent, when he appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Prosecutor Vaughan Pritchard-Jones told the court that the incident occurred at around 9 pm on December 31, when the defendant took the vehicle which was parked by the railings of St. Mary’s Church.

“The moped was owned by a local chef who normally locks the vehicle with a chain, but the padlock had broken on this occasion, so he just left it there in its usual place.

“Mr. Hope saw it, and as it wasn’t secured he sat on the moped and freewheeled it down the street! A couple of PCSOs saw him and shouted towards him to stop, but he didn’t and continued into Tudor Square, and got off outside the Hope and Anchor, where he dropped the moped, causing scratches to the vehicle,” he explained.

Mr. Hope was approached by police officers, who conducted a breath test and arrested him after it proved positive. A further reading at the police station showed that he had 84 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, putting the defendant over twice the legal limit.

“It was a stupid prank. The aggravating feature is that Tudor Square in Tenby is a very popular place on New Year’s Eve. The only mitigating factor is that he didn’t start the vehicle, so if he had hit anybody on the street, it wouldn’t have been with any force as such,” continued Mr. Pritchard-Jones.

When interviewed by the police, Mr. Hope said that he’d had a lot to drink and been an ‘idiot’. He also offered to pay for any damage caused to the moped.

Defence solicitor David Bowen told the court that the matter could be best described as a ‘moment of madness’.

“It was a joke, a very stupid prank. He freewheeled the moped, almost paddling it, not more than a 100 yards. There was no power and it was never more than at walking speed.

“He appreciates the mess he’s in and the mess that he has brought upon himself, and is very, very remorseful. If there is ever one thing he could do in his life to turn back the clock, it is to that moment on New Year’s Eve.

“Mr. Hope is of clean character, and comes from a good family. He is a very good sportsman and regularly plays for Aberdare RFC’s first team. He works as a kitchen installer, but is hoping to follow in the footsteps of his brother and join the Royal Marines,” he added.

Magistrates handed Mr. Hope a driving disqualification of 17 months and fined him £350 for the offence. He was also ordered to pay £200 compensation to the victim, along with prosecution costs of £85 and a £35 victim surcharge.

“Happy New Year to you - unfortunately it’s not been a very good start to 2019 for you though has it!” chief magistrate David Simpson told the defendant when sentencing him.

“It was a stupid prank and unfortunately alcohol got the better of you. It’s a really sad thing, when a lot of people have got a lot of hope and respect for you - I’m not saying you’ve lost that, but one thing you have lost is your driving licence,” he added.