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Drunken cyclist in chicken suit wreaks havoc in branch of Tesco

21-year-old given conditional discharge after admittingh theatening behaviour

A drunken man dressed in a chicken suit and riding a bicycle has been given a 12-month conditional discharge and told to pay £85 costs after wreaking havoc in the aisles of a supermarket in Yorkshire, reports the Telegraph and Argus.

Skipton Magistrates’ Court was told that Max McGratten, aged 21, wearing a chicken costume complete with mask, rode into the town’s Tesco store at around 8pm on April 15, careering into a clothing display and shouting abuse at staff and people shopping there.

In as statement read out before the court, security guard David White related how when he told McGatten that he would summon police, the cyclist headed for the exit. He was brought back into the store with the help of three members of staff. McGatten subsequently threatened to find out where members of staff lived and kill them.

The newspaper reports that police identified McGatten after removing his chicken mask.

McGatten, who pleaded guilty to using threatening words or behaviour likely to cause distress, told the court: “I’d had a few beers. It was absolutely stupid, my own fault and I’m sorry.”
 

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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13 comments

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WolfieSmith | 12 years ago
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Surely Tesco's are trying to encourage free range chickens now?

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Richard | 12 years ago
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Was he charged with 'fowl' play? Maybe he had been drinking Old Speckled Hen?  4

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hairyairey | 12 years ago
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I'd like to know what you drink to make you act like this. That way I can avoid it. Personally I keep my cycling dressed as a chicken secret...

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boffo | 12 years ago
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Drunken man in a chicken suit abuses staff in supermarket is hardly news, add a bicycle to the equation and thats a whole different kettle of fish.  4

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handlebarcam replied to boffo | 12 years ago
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boffo wrote:

add a bicycle to the equation and thats a whole different kettle of fish.

There was a kettle of fish in a Tescos? Now that would be news. But they wouldn't be on bikes, because fish have about as much need for bicycles as women do men.

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PJ McNally | 12 years ago
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This pushes the definition of "cyclist" a little - now it has to include not only people on bikes dressed up like highway engineers, but this guy, too.

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handlebarcam replied to PJ McNally | 12 years ago
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PJ McNally wrote:

This pushes the definition of "cyclist" a little

I agree. Ram-raiders are never reported as being "thieving motorists" and alcoholic wife-beaters aren't described as "drunken baseball players" if their weapon of choice happens to be a baseball bat.

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A V Lowe | 12 years ago
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Good job no one was seriously hurt - but note that the chicken was not wearing a helmet.

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TheHatter | 12 years ago
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How long before a Tory MP announces a bill for a specific law to address the growing problem of chicken suited cyclist wreaking havoc in our towns an cities?

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TRs Blurb n Blog | 12 years ago
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I wonder how the order of events went? Chicken suit on then several beers or fumble with the chicken suit while inebriated? Then remember that you live a mile away from the shop which you wish to terrorise and therefore need to get there and stumbling there by chicken foot would look silly.

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jova54 | 12 years ago
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Quote "The newspaper reports that police identified McGatten after removing his chicken mask."

Brilliant detective work but probably only after they sent for the RSPCA and waited 2 hours for an interpreter who could speak chicken.

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37monkey replied to jova54 | 12 years ago
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I wonder if they had to wait for scooby, shaggy and the mystery mobile before they took his mask off? he would have got away with it if it hadn't been for those pesky kids  22

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37monkey | 12 years ago
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lol  4

I blame Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

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