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EDSON, Alta. — The Alberta man who became a YouTube sensation for enthusiastically belting out “Bohemian Rhapsody” from the back seat of an RCMP cruiser has been convicted of impaired driving and refusing a breathalyser test.

Robert Wilkinson will have to pay a $1,400 fine and will be prohibited from driving for one year.

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Video footage captured on the cruiser’s internal camera of Wilkinson’s passionate performance was later sent to the 29-year-old as evidence for his trial.

At the urging of friends, Wilkinson posted it to YouTube, where it went viral, amassing nearly nine million hits.



Wilkinson had no defence lawyer and represented himself at trial but failed to convince the court the arrest was a violation of his Charter rights.

He arrived at the court building wearing sunglasses, a Viking helmet complete with horns and a NASA T-shirt proclaiming: “I need my space.”

He had been arrested while driving home from a bar in Edson, Alta.