A businessman accused of driving on closed roads during Festival of Motorcycling practice has denied knowing that the course had shut at 6pm.

Robin Bromley-Martin, 67, one of the men behind the £100m Ramsey Marina project, took the stand on the final day of his trial at the Deputy High Bailiff’s court on Monday.

The incident is alleged to have happened on August 20 last year between Ballacrye Road and the Wildlife Park in Ballaugh.

Mr Bromley-Martin told the court that on the day in question he had briefed an old friend of his, a senior planning QC, about the Marina scheme before dropping him off at the airport.

The defendant said he had checked the Manx Grand Prix website before heading home to St Jude’s and he assumed the 6.20pm time given in the schedule was when the road closed.

He estimated that he had reached Ballacraine at about 5.30pm and then headed up the A3 Glen Helen road to Kirk Michael and Ballaugh, with the intention of turning left at Sulby Bridge.

marshals

Mr Bromley-Martin said he slowed down at Ballaugh Bridge where he said he saw a group of marshals on the pavement but they ’took not a blind bit of notice of me’.

He also slowed down at the Ballacrye road junction where he saw a marshal leaning on a barrier but who he said took no notice of him, so he continued towards the Wildlife Park.

But he told the court: ’I had probably gone 100 to 150 yards when I noticed a gentleman standing in the middle of the road waving a red flag in a figure of eight motion. I must admit to a certain bafflement.’

The marshal, Ashley Bates, said in his evidence that he had pointed to the driver to turn into the car park of the Wildlife Park but instead the car had performed a U-turn and gone back in the direction of Ballacrye Road as Mr Bates shouted ’no, no, no’.

But Mr Bromley-Martin told the court that the marshal had both hands on the flag and he thought the figure of eight motion was telling him to turn round and go back.

He said he was given ’no verbal instructions whatsoever’.

’Much to my bemusement he was standing absolutely stock still waving this red flag in a figure of eight motion.

’I thought it was clear he doesn’t want me to proceed to Sulby for whatever reason and the only other option was to go back to Ballacrye Road.’

The defendant denied there had been any altercation, ’verbal or otherwise’. He had put his hands up ’in supplication’ for guidance on what the marshal wanted him to do.

But cross-examining, prosecutor Rachael Braidwood asked him why he hadn’t simply wound down his window to ask.

He said he did not see the marshal moving towards him.

’I interpreted that signal as "turn round and get off the course as quickly as possible",’ he said.

’But you didn’t check did you?’ pressed Ms Braidwood. ’I’m very sorry, we are all human,’ he replied.

’It must have been obvious to you that the reason you were stopped was that the road was closed,’ said the prosecutor. But the defendant disagreed, saying there could have been an accident ahead or cows crossing the road.

The court has heard evidence that Mr Bromley-Martin drove off at speed, the ’wrong-way’ on the course, before braking and turning at the Ballacrye Road junction without stopping as barriers were removed to make space for him.

Giving his evidence, he said he had gone a reasonable speed but his 15-year-old MG estate wasn’t capable of going that fast and he had slowed down for the junction. He denied putting marshals in any form of danger.

The prosecutor put it to the defendant that he wanted to get home ’come hell or high water’ and was concerned that he could end up getting stuck in the Wildlife Park car park for three hours.

In the event, no practices took place that night due to bad weather.

Mr Bromley-Martin said he arrived back home at about 6.15pm. He said he was in the process of helping take down a marquee when he was approached by a police officer and subsequently arrested.

He said: ’It’s with considerable embarrassment that I’m sitting here. I’m a law-abiding citizen who has always respected authority.’

Deputy High Bailiff Louise Byrne will reserve judgment in the case.