Vandals target bike champ’s home
Jan 21 2008 by Dan Warburton, The Journal
VANDALS have targeted the home of a former British motorbike champion – splattering paint over his car and windows.
Martin Johnson became the British motorcycle champion in 1998 but his career ended after a crash the following year – and now the 42-year-old says his life is being made a misery.
The bike-fanatic returned to his Tynemouth home with his father Eddy, 71, on Saturday evening to find that two tins of blue and white gloss paint had been thrown across the front of his house and car.
It is the latest in a spate of aggressive acts on his property and prank phone calls to his home number.
And now his father is calling on police to protect their home.
Father Eddy said: “We went out to watch the Newcastle game and when we came back there was paint everywhere.
“Whoever’s doing this is very frightening and intimidating.
“My wife’s mother was in the house on her own, and it’s not fair for her to be scared like that.
“The police seem to be hamstrung. There are no witnesses so there’s not much they can do about it.
“But it’s very frustrating because I’m always hearing about anti-social behaviour orders and this is the most clear case of anti-social behaviour I can think of and yet nothing is done.”
The Johnsons’ house on Beach Road, Tynemouth, has been targeted for the past 18 months. In an incident in August 2006, Martin’s clothes were ripped to shreds and strewn across two motorbikes parked on his driveway.
The vehicles had been pushed over and damaged.
And the family phone is constantly ringing at all hours of the night.
Mr Johnson snr said: “They often don’t say anything but there are persistent phone calls at all times of the day and at night. We have to go to bed with the phone off the hook.”
The harassment comes only eight years after Martin was involved in a life-threatening crash.
In 1999 Martin was thrown from his 250cc bike and crushed by fellow riders at a British Championship meeting in Cadwell Park, Lincolnshire.
He was revived by doctors and rushed to hospital with serious head and chest injuries.
The speed-king was nine points clear after six rounds of the General Guarantee Aprilia RS250 Challenge before the horrific smash.
His father said: “Martin had quite a serious crash in 1999 and has had brain damage ever since.
“He’s not really able to look after himself and so he stays with us.”
Police confirmed that they had made an arrest in connection with charges of criminal damage.
