This is the man who was caught on video running away from the scene of a three-car crash – without his trousers.
Mark Richards, 48, was filmed running into woods, wearing just a black T-shirt and socks and flashing his bare backside, just seconds after the pile-up.
The footage went viral following speculation on social media that Richards jumped a red light because he was being ‘chased by his lover’s husband’ after being caught in bed with another man’s wife.
Today he appeared before magistrates in Wigan, Lancashire, and was banned from driving for two years.
Richards’ lawyer Andrea Woods, defending, did not elaborate on the circumstances of the accident but admitted Richards had ‘quite a lot going on in his personal life’ at the time.
The court was told that the crash occurred on Wigan Rd, in Bolton, on January 17.
Richards ditched his Volvo V40 car immediately after the prang and was filmed jogging away semi-naked, with his trousers in his hands, as a bemused Weimaraner dog looked on.
He later returned to the scene and admitted to police officers to driving through a red light.
Mark Richards, 48, was banned from driving after admitting being involved in the crash in January
Semi-naked Mark Richards, 48, sprints away from the scene of the crash
Carrying what appears to be his trousers in his hand, Richards furtively looks around
With his bare bottom on show for every passing motorist to see, Richards encountered a dog beside the road, before jumping into woodland to try and hide his modesty
Neighbours told the Mail the clip went viral on social media almost immediately. One quipped: ‘Only in Bolton’
Richards provided a roadside sample of saliva, which tested positive for drugs, and was arrested.
He was taken to a police station but refused to provide a sample of blood because he has a ‘fear of needles,’ the court heard.
Ms Woods said: ‘He said there was quite a lot going on in his personal life which caused him to overthink.
‘He wasn’t in an area that he was familiar with.
‘And it was those factors, he said, were the reasons for him missing the red light.’
Magistrates were also told that Richards did not believe the drugs would have affected his driving.
Earlier, Zulekha Bhuta, prosecuting, told the court: ‘The defendant was seen driving through a red light and collided with another vehicle.
‘That has caused another vehicle to then collide into those two vehicles as well, so it was a three-vehicle collision.’
Last month the Daily Mail revealed how cheeky social media users posted hilarious speculation online about what the half-naked man might have been up to prior to the crash, including claims he had been forced to flee in a hurry after being ‘caught s******* his lover by her furious husband’.
Others joked that ‘even his dog disowned him’ because of his behaviour.
One neighbour said: ‘The video appeared on social media within minutes of it happening, it was almost like watching a live feed of what was going on.
‘Different videos from different angles kept appearing – we have no idea who the man is, we couldn’t see his face, only his backside! Fortunately, there were no close-ups.’
Another said: ‘At first we were concerned he was a flasher, then there were loads of rumours he’d been up to no good with another man’s wife and the husband had come home, so he’d had to leg it quickly.
‘It’s not something you see every day – only in Bolton!’
Richards, of Skelmersdale, Lancashire, pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention and failing to provide a specimen for analysis.
As well as the driving ban, he was handed an 18-month community service order and fined £199.
