Pip1968
22-10-2010, 01:57 PM
Shamelessly copied and pasted from the dark side:
A Porsche driver caught using a laser jammer to disable police speed guns has been banned in a landmark court ruling.
Jamie Shreeve, 21, was handed a 30-day driving ban on Wednesday after he was stopped by police and caught red-handed. Shreeve, of Caister, near Great Yarmouth, is only the second motorist in Norfolk to be prosecuted for using the sophisticated hi-tech device. He is the first in the county to be given a driving ban for it.
Shreeve's benchmark ban was last night welcomed by two road traffic police officers who have been spearheading a crackdown on hi-tech speeders.
The James Bond-style jammers are fixed to the outside of cars and wired up under the dashboard with an on-off switch.
Sgt Geoff Bowers and PC Chris Harris only became aware of them when they stopped a high-powered, turbo-charged Porsche 911 on the A47 in Norfolk in March. The two road cops have since come across dozens of the gadgets, costing up to £500 and sold on the internet as 'parking sensors'. At least 10 other drivers are waiting to go to court after Shreeve.
Sgt Bowers said: "This is the first case in Norfolk in which a motorist has been banned from driving for using a laser jamming device. "I'm extremely pleased with this result, which shows that the courts are taking these offences seriously." He added: "People using laser jamming devices have no regard for speed limits and, therefore, put themselves and other road users in danger. I hope this sentence acts as a warning to other drivers considering fitting such devices to their vehicles."
Shreeve admitted the wilful obstruction of a police officer. The prosecution agreed to drop a second charge of exceeding the 70mph speed limit.
Gary Mayle, prosecuting, said Sgt Bowers was conducting speed checks from the bridge over the A47 at Acle on October 2 when he noticed a black Vauxhall Astra appearing to be topping 70mph.
But when the officer pointed his speed gun at the motor it failed to supply a speed reading.
Sgt Bowers radioed to officers to stop the Astra at the Acle roundabout.
They examined the car and found the sensor on the front and the other elements of the laser jammer, including wiring under the dashboard and an on-off switch inside. The cops seized the vehicle and removed the laser jammer.
Shreeve said he had paid £200 for the device and fitted it himself. The offshore worker said he had done it to safeguard his job as his company did not tolerate employees being prosecuted for speeding. Mr Mayle asked magistrates to impose a driving ban.
Annette Hall, defending, told Great Yarmouth magistrates: "This device is not illegal to sell and not illegal to purchase and that is clearly an area that needs to be looked at. There are numerous devices like these to be found on the internet that can be set up as a parking sensor as well. He accepts that because he had it switched on, he was wilfully obstructing the police officer."
Fining Shreeve £100 with £85 costs in addition to the ban, magistrates said it was a "premeditated deliberate action to avoid detection for speeding".
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/8077912/Speed-camera-jammer-banned.html (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/8077912/Speed-camera-jammer-banned.html)
Pip
A Porsche driver caught using a laser jammer to disable police speed guns has been banned in a landmark court ruling.
Jamie Shreeve, 21, was handed a 30-day driving ban on Wednesday after he was stopped by police and caught red-handed. Shreeve, of Caister, near Great Yarmouth, is only the second motorist in Norfolk to be prosecuted for using the sophisticated hi-tech device. He is the first in the county to be given a driving ban for it.
Shreeve's benchmark ban was last night welcomed by two road traffic police officers who have been spearheading a crackdown on hi-tech speeders.
The James Bond-style jammers are fixed to the outside of cars and wired up under the dashboard with an on-off switch.
Sgt Geoff Bowers and PC Chris Harris only became aware of them when they stopped a high-powered, turbo-charged Porsche 911 on the A47 in Norfolk in March. The two road cops have since come across dozens of the gadgets, costing up to £500 and sold on the internet as 'parking sensors'. At least 10 other drivers are waiting to go to court after Shreeve.
Sgt Bowers said: "This is the first case in Norfolk in which a motorist has been banned from driving for using a laser jamming device. "I'm extremely pleased with this result, which shows that the courts are taking these offences seriously." He added: "People using laser jamming devices have no regard for speed limits and, therefore, put themselves and other road users in danger. I hope this sentence acts as a warning to other drivers considering fitting such devices to their vehicles."
Shreeve admitted the wilful obstruction of a police officer. The prosecution agreed to drop a second charge of exceeding the 70mph speed limit.
Gary Mayle, prosecuting, said Sgt Bowers was conducting speed checks from the bridge over the A47 at Acle on October 2 when he noticed a black Vauxhall Astra appearing to be topping 70mph.
But when the officer pointed his speed gun at the motor it failed to supply a speed reading.
Sgt Bowers radioed to officers to stop the Astra at the Acle roundabout.
They examined the car and found the sensor on the front and the other elements of the laser jammer, including wiring under the dashboard and an on-off switch inside. The cops seized the vehicle and removed the laser jammer.
Shreeve said he had paid £200 for the device and fitted it himself. The offshore worker said he had done it to safeguard his job as his company did not tolerate employees being prosecuted for speeding. Mr Mayle asked magistrates to impose a driving ban.
Annette Hall, defending, told Great Yarmouth magistrates: "This device is not illegal to sell and not illegal to purchase and that is clearly an area that needs to be looked at. There are numerous devices like these to be found on the internet that can be set up as a parking sensor as well. He accepts that because he had it switched on, he was wilfully obstructing the police officer."
Fining Shreeve £100 with £85 costs in addition to the ban, magistrates said it was a "premeditated deliberate action to avoid detection for speeding".
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/8077912/Speed-camera-jammer-banned.html (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/8077912/Speed-camera-jammer-banned.html)
Pip