Joyride on motorcycle convicts Petersburg man in New Kent Circuit Court

A Petersburg man, whose motorcycle joyride turned into a high speed chase, has entered no contest pleas to one count each of felony eluding police and misdemeanor reckless driving.

Perry N. Sutton, 24, of the 200 block of N. Sycamore Street, Apt. 25, acknowledged his actions during Aug. 25 New Kent Circuit Court proceedings.

In a summary of evidence, a state trooper observed three motorcycles weaving in traffic and passing vehicles via the shoulder on Mar. 22. As the trooper attempted to conduct a traffic stop, the two bikes towards the back pulled over but the lead bike accelerated. A chase ensued, reaching speeds of more than 130 miles per hour. The lead biker pulled off on exit 220 (West Point) and nearly lost control before finally stopping. A standoff ensued for nearly 40 minutes before Sutton, the driver of the vehicle, was taken into custody. When asked for an explanation, Sutton said he didn’t pull over because the license plates did not belong to that particular motorcycle and the tags had expired.

Sutton’s formal sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 3, with sentencing guidelines recommending up to six months in jail.

In other court proceedings:

–Floyd Lee Atkins, 56, of the 8300 block of Cemetary Road, Charles City, entered guilty pleas to one count each of driving as a habitual offender and misdemeanor DUI (2nd offense). Last Apr. 10, a New Kent deputy conducted a routine stop and smelled alcohol on Atkins. The deputy also saw an open 40-ounce beer bottle. A subsequent investigation identified the defendant as a habitual offender. Formal sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 27, but Atkins will face a minimum sentence of one year on the habitual offender charge and 20 days on the DUI charge.

–Ashley Madison Sale, 26, of 48 Pinoale Lane, Warsaw, accepted a plea deal to one count of possession of cocaine. A warrant was issued from Hanover County for Sale’s arrest and she was arrested during a traffic stop on Interstate 64. During the stop, she suffered a medical setback and was transferred to Hanover, where it was discovered by a nurse that she possessed cocaine that was inside a device used to smoke the drug. The device was hidden in the defendant’s bra. Because she was transported by New Kent personnel, she received the charge. Under the agreement, she received one year in jail with all suspended due to her serving time on the same charge in Hanover.