Ban for lorry driver who watched Battlestar Galactica while at the wheel

A lorry driver veered across the M6 motorway in Cumbria as he watched episodes of Battlestar Galactica while behind the wheel of his 38-tonne truck, a court has heard.

Sci-fi fan Benjamin Trotman, 37, had one eye on the road and the other on the cult TV series showing on a 14in laptop on his dashboard, Penrith Magistrates' Court was told.

The father of two motored along at 55mph for 25 miles on the M6 near Kendal, veering from the hard-shoulder to the middle lane, slowing down and speeding up as he followed the action, magistrates heard.

Another trucker, who could see his cab lit up and figures acting on the screen, sounded his horn before calling police.

A traffic officer pulled Trotman over and found a laptop running on his dashboard with Battlestar Galactica films on it, magistrates were told.

The cult show was first broadcast in America 30 years ago, telling the story of a group of humans aboard a starship searching for the mysterious planet Earth after their homeland is destroyed by intelligent robots, the Cylons.

Trotman, of The Hobbins, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to dangerous driving on the M6 near Kendal in December last year.

He was banned from the road for 15 months, given 225 hours' community service and ordered to pay £546 costs.

Adrienne Harris, prosecuting, told the court that traffic policeman Sgt Paul Brown could see Trotman's truck veering across the road, pulled him over and went to investigate.

"There was a laptop on the dashboard. A number of files under the name Battlestar Galactica were displayed and the media application was running," she said.