Yahoo News Ferrari salesman jailed after trying to dodge speed cameras by fitting laser jammer to company BMW
A Ferrari supercar salesman who tried to dodge speed cameras by fitting a ‘laser jammer’ to his BMW has been jailed.
Nicholas Burke, 46, attempted to avoid detection by installing a ‘Laser Elite’ to his company car, a BMW 335D.
Marketed as ‘the most advanced laser diffuser on the market’, the device works by blocking the signal used to monitor how fast cars are travelling.
Burke was caught in the act after speeding past a safety camera van on February 18 last year, while driving in excess of the 60mph speed limit along a country road between Wheldrake and Elvington, North Yorkshire.
Police launched a probe when the camera system flashed up with an error message which meant officers were unable to take a reading – suggesting it had been tampered with.
The vehicle was seized after Burke was spoken to by officers the following day at his home address and when examined, a jammer was found to be installed on the car.
During police interview, Burke admitted to having a laser jammer which he arranged to have fitted as he was worried about getting points on his licence.
He then received a court summons and has since resigned from his job at a Ferrari dealership in Leeds, West Yorkshire.
Burke, from York, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice and was yesterday (Thursday) jailed for two months at York Crown Court.
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The law forbids the use of laser jammers to interfere with official speed measuring equipment.
Speaking after the sentencing, Traffic Constable Andy Forth, who led the investigation for North Yorkshire Police, said: “As Burke’s prison sentence shows, the courts take a very dim view of people who use jammer devices to pervert the course of justice.
“As such, we have a duty to investigate when we think someone has used one illegally and we will uphold the law.
“So if you use one of these devices in North Yorkshire there’s a very strong chance you’ll be caught.”
