A motorcyclist who reached speeds of more than 160mph on public roads in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire has been jailed for 15 months. Lewis Baker, 35, of Tadmarton, Milton Keynes, was sentenced at Aylesbury Crown Court on Friday, 10 July, after admitting one count of dangerous driving. He was also disqualified from driving for 10 years.
Although Baker pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, he was found not guilty by a jury of causing death by dangerous driving.
Brother-in-law died in crash
The charges followed a collision near Tingewick, Buckinghamshire, in September 2023, in which Baker suffered serious injuries. His brother-in-law, Jason Wallis, 31, who had been riding alongside him, died following the crash.
During the trial, Mr Wallis’ widow, Nikki Wallis, who is also Baker’s sister, gave evidence for the defence. She told jurors the two men had been “best friends” and described her late husband as an experienced rider who was “just an accident waiting to happen”.
Speeds exceeded 160mph
The court heard that on 9 September 2023, Baker rode through Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire at sustained, dangerously excessive speeds. Thames Valley Police said his motorcycle frequently exceeded 130mph on A-roads and at times travelled at more than 160mph, placing himself and other road users at extreme risk.
Sentencing Baker, His Honour Judge Cooper described the standard of his riding as “as bad as it could be”, adding that such speeds belonged on a racetrack rather than public roads. The court also heard Baker admitted he had ridden like “a menace.”
Ride filmed for social media
Investigators revealed Baker had been recording his high-speed ride with the intention of sharing the footage with others. Senior Investigator Philip Hanham, of Thames Valley Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “Dangerous riding puts lives at risk and can have the most devastating consequences. “Baker’s riding was appalling and is the worst I have seen on a motorbike in all my 30 years as a police officer and investigator. “Baker showed total disregard for the law and other road users’ safety. “On the day of this appalling riding, Baker was filming his dangerous riding with the intention of sharing it with others.
This showed his intent to ride in the dangerous manner that he was rightly sentenced for today. “This case serves as a stark reminder that everyone who uses our roads has a responsibility to do so safely. Dangerous behaviour can and does change lives forever.”
