Martin Dickson's Bass General bus is well known on the streets of Glastonbury

Glastonbury’s ‘Bass General’ DJ bids to raise £10,000 after stealing boat while on cocaine

Paul JonesMarch 21, 20250 Comment0

A GLASTONBURY-based DJ stole a speedboat after taking cocaine – and now faces a race to raise £10,000 to pay compensation.

Martin Dickson, known in the Somerset town as the owner operator of the Bass General bus, has been given a month to find the money after being convicted of stealing the boat on June 19, 2021.

The incident unfolded in Fife, Scotland, when Dickson, who hails from the area, was visiting.

A court heard the 52-year-old had been taking cocaine before stealing the boat from a sailing club’s yard.

He offered no explanation for his actions when he appeared at Dunfermlin Sheriff Court, but has now launched a crowdfunding effort to raise the money.

Sheriff Susan Duff deferred sentencing Dickson until April 15, in order he might obtain a bank loan to pay back the £10,000 to cover damage to the boat.

Dickson’s GoFundMe page does not detail the need for the funding, but does say “things are now catching up with me”.

“I’m now in a real mess with everything going on and councils are shutting me down very, very quickly, and courts are now starting to take action against me for all the unlicensed music events that I brought to the country, and I have caused mayhem all over the UK,” he said.

“It won’t be long until I get shut down permanently and I’ll lose my home and my dream and my little boy’s dream.

“I have to put my hands out now and ask for some major help, or it’s going to be devastating.”

He said he was “now at the point where the judge is telling me I have four weeks to get myself £10,000 together, or spend a long time in jail – three years and upwards.”

The fundraiser has so far reached £410 of the £10,000 target.

In December last year, Dickson appealed for help on social media, asking for locations to store the Bass General bus in Glastonbury.

“I am looking some space to park my bus either a few days or few months I’m away to Scotland as of Sunday and need a space with cameras to protect my bus I won’t be living in the bus I just need somewhere to keep it stored for a period of time,” he said at the time.