Former boxing champion Chris Eubank received a conditional discharge today for riding his motorised scooter without a helmet.
Eubank, 34, of The Upper Drive, Hove, who admitted the offence, claimed he was "frightened" when ordered to stop by police while riding the go-ped at Brighton Marina last August.
The Celebrity Big Brother star did not appear at Brighton Magistrates Court, where his solicitor Joe Harrington entered a not guilty plea to a charge of riding the 15mph go-ped without registration plates. The charge was withdrawn.
Rebecca Upton, prosecuting, told the court how PC Simon Rideout, who was sitting in a patrol car, spotted a man riding a motorised scooter at the Marina Way roundabout at 7.15pm on August 19.
He and a colleague followed the scooter with the patrol car's blue lights flashing. The man failed to stop before PC Rideout switched on the car's siren.
The man then pulled over at the side of the road, blocking a lane.
Ms Upton said: "The officers said the man seemed not to be aware that police were trying to stop him.
"The siren was activated and the man looked around and stopped. The officer recognised the man as Chris Eubank. Mr Eubank said he was frightened by the use of the siren. The officer explained why it had been used.
"It was also explained that he would be reported for using a motor vehicle without protective headgear. Mr Eubank said he thought it was a 'legal grey area'."
Mr Harrington, defending Eubank, said the boxer was given the go-ped after appearing on the Patrick Kielty show in Belfast.
He said: "He did not realise if it was or was not a motorised vehicle, or even classified as a motorcycle."
Magistrates accepted that it was a grey area of the law and gave Eubank a conditional discharge.
He was ordered to pay costs of £35.
