‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ as sung by Canadian Robert Wilkinson in back of cop car

If you want to try and turn a ride in a cop car into a few minutes of Internet stardom, take a cue from Robert Wilkinson: pick a long song and belt it out like your life depended on it.

Wilkinson has become a minor Internet celebrity with his rendition of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," a hit when it came out in 1975 and again when it was used in the film "Wayne's World" in 1992.

While Freddy Mercury's version remains the best out there, Wilkinson's slightly slurred rendition in the back of an RCMP squad car in Edson, Alberta, filmed last November, certainly is a close second:

If you're wondering who this cop car crooner is exactly, you aren't alone. The Smoking Gun tracked down Robert Wilkinson to get better acquainted with the man who chose to serenade his arresting officer.

According to The Smoking Gun, Wilkinson is an unemployed and a regular karaoke singer, and claims to have performed all 113 Beatles songs currently available on karaoke machines.

Wilkinson got hold of the footage recorded inside the police car to support his criminal court case. Prosecutors gave it to him so he can defend himself against the drunk driving charge made against him. As you can hear in the video, Wilkinson is adamant that he was not intoxicated when the RCMP officer pulled him over and asked him to get out of his truck.

The video made it online this past February when some friends of Wilkinson said they'd like to show the footage to other people. Wilkinson obliged, and added it to his collection of other videos, including one where he gets punched in the face, one where he eats a ten pound sandwich and one that documents his dismissal from film school in Vancouver.

Postmedia reports that Wilkinson's case will go before the courts in November.