A cyclist from Hennock who was caught riding his old bike on the M5 motorway landed up in court this week, writes a court reporter.

Balin Hobbs had ridden for 10 miles before police caught up with him – but he overtook them and was eventually forced off the motorway two miles further along.

The 52-year-old was heading towards Bristol and then London before he was stopped at junction 28 at Cullompton, Devon, one day in April.

He admitted riding a pedal cycle on a motorway and resisting arrest.

He spent three days cycling from London to get to Exeter magistrates court in time for the case – and slept on the courtroom steps the night before the hearing.

Prosecutor Richard Parkhouse told the JP that police received information about a man cycling on the hard shoulder along the motorway.

A police car and two officers caught up with Hobbs two miles from Cullompton.

‘They saw him cycling his bike on the hard shoulder,’ he said.

They asked him to stop and pulled over in front of him but he replied ‘It’s you who are blocking the road, just go away, I’m not stopping’ and went into lane one to overtake them and carry on.

He then swore at the officers who were joined by another police car and Hobbs left at J28 and went into a service station area.

 Mr Parkhouse said he jumped off his bike and threw it on the ground and was ranting at the top of his voice and refused to give his name.

 Hobbs told the police: ‘I will keep riding until I get to Bristol.’

 He was handcuffed and arrested and the police said he had cycled around 10 miles along the M5.

Hobbs, whose address was given as Hennock, Devon, but who is living in London, said: ‘You are putting me in shackles for no reason.’

 The 6’3” tall, bearded cyclist wrestled with officers as he was arrested and put into a police van and smashed his own head on the van and while in custody.

 Exeter magistrates heard he has no previous convictions.

 Hobbs, defended himself, and said: ‘I was definitely on the M5 on my bike.’

But he claimed the police had ‘intimidated, harassed and harangued me’ adding: ‘I did not intend to cycle on the M5 but I had to try and find my way to Bristol and then London. I don’t wish to be in this end of the country at all.’

 He said he had cycled for the last three days to get to Exeter from London and would spend another three days riding back.

 He said he ‘had no respect for the law’ and was ‘fighting against a system of global destruction’.

 He said he rode to Devon because it is against his spiritual beliefs to be driven in petrol or diesel vehicles.

‘I don’t want to be here and I want even less to be in prison,’ the articulate defendant told the bench.

 The JPs gave him a 12 month conditional discharge. They ordered no court costs or fines but said he must pay a £20 victim surcharge – which he said they might as well post to the Hyde Park police station as he is homeless.