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Killed rock star was riding like "muppet"
An ex-drummer killed in a motorcycle crash earlier this year was riding too fast and without due care when he and a passenger came off his bike, an eye-witness has claimed.
Martin Gilks, formerly a member of band The Wonder Stuff, lost control of his bike near Putney Bridge, clipping the kerb as he turned a corner and being sent hurtling into a metal bollard, dying the following day as a result of his injuries.
Witness Tim Dunn told an inquest at Westminster Coroner's Court last week that Mr Gilks was riding at a considerably higher speed than the 30mph limit when he overtook his car shortly before the tragic accident.
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Mr Dunn recapped: "I was watching him because he had been right on my tail. He was speeding and going round the island the wrong way.
"He overtook me. I was doing about 30mph and he was going significantly faster. I was watching him to see what he was going to do next. He was a muppet."
The 41-year-old father of two suffered a fractured pelvis and perforated bladder and died when he went into cardiac arrest after haemorrhaging in hospital, although his female companion riding pillion was fortunate to escape with just a broken leg.
Mr Gilks' band The Wonder Stuff came to prominence at the turn of the 90s, managing top ten hits such as Size of a Cow and Welcome to the Cheap Seats, as well as a number one in collaboration with comedian Vic Reeves with a cover version of Tommy Roe's Dizzy.
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