Friday, March 14, 2014

Man facing jail after stealing penny farthing to get home

A man is facing jail for stealing a penny-farthing so he could ride the 14 miles home after a drunken day out.

Robert Bastin, 20, took the bicycle from a garden in Honiton, Devon, from where he rode home to Exeter. He then tried to sell the penny-farthing for £350 on eBay, but it was bought by police who were looking out for it.



Bastin, an unemployed labourer, stole the bike after he had enjoyed Christmas Day drinks with his brother and realised he had no means of getting home, Exeter magistrates heard. He admitted stealing the bicycle. He will be sentenced next month.

Defence lawyer Peter Woodley told a court on Wednesday:"He was trying to get home. He had had a Christmas Day drink with his brother and it looked like a good idea."

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

He needed to get back to The Village before Rover came after him.

Lurker111

Barbwire said...

Fascinating! That bicycle is really called a penny farthing. The US and Great Britain certainly are divided by language.

Unknown said...

It was more the trying to sell it after that made me :[