Nottingham, United Kingdom – A suspect on an illegal e-scooter was detained after losing control and tumbling to the ground while attempting to outrun a police officer on a bicycle.

Two officers were patrolling on electric bikes on the afternoon of May 6, 2025, when they spotted Graham McCarthy riding the scooter along Carlton Road. McCarthy, believed to have links to local drug supply, was holding a roll-up cigarette as he was followed and instructed to pull over.

For ten minutes, he refused to comply, swearing at officers while weaving dangerously through traffic and pedestrians. As he moved through St Ann’s toward Nottingham City Centre, McCarthy ran a red light and drove straight toward a bus, forcing it to brake sharply.

The pursuit ended near the junction with Lower Parliament Street when McCarthy, riding in excess of 20 mph, lost control while trying to pass the bus. After tumbling to the ground, he was swiftly detained and arrested by the pursuing officer.

McCarthy, 43, of Denstone Road, Nottingham, later pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving without insurance, and driving without a licence. He also admitted to criminal damage after repeatedly banging his head inside a police van, and possession of Class B drugs with intent to supply following a May 2024 arrest for synthetic cannabinoids.

Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Monday, March 16, he was jailed for 75 weeks and disqualified from driving for 19 months.

PC Elizabeth Shone of Nottinghamshire Police said: “This was certainly a lot slower than the average police pursuit, but McCarthy certainly put himself and others in danger during this incident.

“He had multiple opportunities to stop and be dealt with at the side of the road, but chose instead to greatly increase the seriousness of his offending by leading us on this lengthy pursuit.

“Fortunately, he avoided serious injury during the subsequent crash, which very clearly shows the inherent dangers of attempting to ride these devices at such high speed.

“As McCarthy has now discovered, private e-scooters are treated in the same way as any other mechanically propelled vehicles when offences of this nature are committed.”

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