A Devonshire man appeared in court accused of a littering offence by pushing his own motorcycle into the ocean.

Malik Outerbridge, 38, of Cedar Park, gave a plea of “guilty, with an explanation” after Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner read a charge that on November 14 he had put a derelict motorcycle in St. George’s Harbour.

Crown counsel Maria Sofianos told Magistrates’ Court that at approximately 4.42pm, police responded to a report of a man dumping a motorcycle in the water outside the St. George’s Dinghy Club.

Police intercepted Outerbridge on York Street, where he admitted the offence.

Unable to provide details of the bike when asked, Outerbridge was arrested.

He directed officers to the location, where they saw the bike submerged in the water. Outerbridge was then taken to Southside Police Station, and marine police later recovered the vehicle, which was found to be his.

Outerbridge made no reply when questioned by police.

He told the court: “I was looking over the dock and feeding the fish, and the bike fell over. I had to let go of it, and the bike went into the water. I was on my way to report it when the officers intercepted me.”

Mr Warner said: “This was a working bike which you had ridden, it was licensed and insured, and you had no intention of dumping it? If so, why didn’t you attempt to retrieve it?”

When Outerbridge said he couldn’t have gone overboard after it, Mr Warner said: “The issue is whether you intended to dump the bike. If you did tell the officers the reason for the bike being in the water, why isn’t it on file?”

He said that an independent witness had seen Outerbridge pull up, look around furtively, deposit the bike and then disappear.

Outerbridge said the witness must have been drinking at the bar as it was the only way they could have seen anything.

He was fined $200 for the offence.