'Friend' stole jailbird's bike (From Evesham Journal)

'Friend' stole jailbird's bike

9:15am Monday 8th February 2010

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A MOTORBIKE sold illegally for £200 has increased more than 10 times in value - leaving the Worcestershire man who sold it having to pay £1,000 compensation.

Mark Moynihan, aged 39, of St Philips Drive, Evesham, pleaded guilty to stealing his friend’s motorbike at Worcester Magistrates Court.

Moynihan was trusted to look after the black Yamaha XV while the friend was in jail, but the friend became worried when he could not contact him.

The friend only realised his bike had been sold when he received DVLA papers saying the registered owner had changed, to a Mr Fields, of Coventry.

Mr Fields confirmed he had bought the bike from a man known as Mark from a pub for £200, but, after fixing it up, had now sold it on Ebay.

The bike had been bought by a garage, who subsequently did a bit more work on the bike and sold it for £2,295.

When interviewed, Moynihan said he had sold the bike at the beginning of 2009 when he found himself in money trouble.

He fully intended paying his friend back at a rate of £20 per week, and genuinely believed the bike to not be worth more than the £200 he originally sold it for.

But his friend has said he believed the bike's value at the beginning of 2009 to be around £1,800.

In mitigation for his client, Mark Turnball said: “He had helped and supported his friend financially.

"When he went to prison, he had to pay some of his debts at the pub, but at the time he sold the bike it was to help himself.

“The bike was in no fit condition to be driven. It was not taxed, did not have an MOT and was not insured.

"He does not believe the bike was worth anywhere near £1,800.”

Sentencing, district judge Bruce Morgan said: “Balanced against the kindness you were showing your friend, you then took advantage of the fact that he was detained by Her Majesty.”

Mr Morgan ordered Moynihan to do 90 hours unpaid work, pay £1,000 in compensation for the bike and pay £85 costs.

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