A SPEEDING motorcyclist died after crashing without a helmet in a 20mph zone, an inquest heard yesterday.

Father-of-three Augustus Collins, pictured – known as Gus – had “30 seconds of madness” which a witness said saw him show off at high speed as he rode around Oxford’s Horspath Trading Estate at about 2pm on March 1.

He was driving his green Kawasaki motorcycle when he collided with a breakdown truck and a parked car.

The 44-year-old mechanic, from Kestrel Crescent, Blackbird Leys, was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital, but died there on March 14.

The inquest at Oxfordshire Coroner’s Court heard that he was travelling between 44 and 60mph before the crash in Peterley Road. Witnesses said he could have been doing 70mph.

When taken to hospital, he was well enough to be interviewed by police but died two weeks later, due partly to the blunt injuries he sustained.

Pc Naomi Voysey said Mr Collins told her in hospital: “Yeah, I wasn’t wearing a helmet, but I will only get a slap on the wrist for that.”

On the day of the incident, Mr Collins was on the estate with work colleagues from Air Cooled Engineering, including Max Rogers, who said: “I think he wanted to show off.”

Work colleague and mechanic Alan Paterson said: “Sadly, 30 seconds of madness has cost him his life.”

William Smith was driving an Isis Rescue breakdown recovery truck which was pulling into Peterley Road.

He said in a police interview: “The speed was phenomenal.”

Police collision investigator Pc James Henderson said: “If Mr Collins had been travelling at the speed limit, he would have been able to safely stop.”

Oxfordshire Coroner Darren Salter, who returned a verdict of death due to a road traffic collision, said: “Sadly, it does seem as if Gus was riding his motorcycle at excess speed with no helmet.”