A PORSCHE driver has been fined £5,000 and given a seven-month suspended prison sentence after being caught twice using a laser jammer to evade a speeding conviction.

Grant Robert Faulkner, 54, of Ebberston near Scarborough, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to two counts of perverting the course of justice and was sentenced at York Crown Court on Wednesday.

The sentencing judge described Faulkner and people like him as dishonest and that he was going to make sure that he received punishment for what he had done before handing him the heavy fine and suspended sentence.

Faulkner was also ordered to pay £800 costs to the prosecution and £140 victim surcharge, brinGing the total to £5,940.

On the morning of November 9 and 26 November 2017, Faulkner was driving his company Porsche Cayenne along the A170 near Thornton-le-Dale, Pickering, when one of North Yorkshire Police’s mobile safety cameras attempted to measure the speed of his vehicle.

Believing that he was travelling in excess of the 30 miles per hour speed limit, the operator made numerous attempts to measure the speed of Faulkner’s Porsche.

However, due to interference received from that vehicle – the safety camera was unable to determine his speed.

North Yorkshire Police launched an investigation into the incident and Faulkner’s vehicle was seized and examined.

Officers found that it had been fitted with a laser jamming device.

The Northern Echo:

When initially questioned about it, Faulkner denied fitting the device to his vehicle however he pleaded guilty to the offences at a subsequent court hearing.

Investigating officer, Traffic Constable Andrew Forth said: “This is the fifth person this year to be successfully prosecuted in North Yorkshire for using a laser jammer device in an attempt to lift themselves above the law and protect themselves from a potential speeding conviction.

"The fine handed out indicates how serious the court took his offending.

“Using this equipment in this way puts other innocent, law-abiding road users at risk by people who believe that they can travel at speed with complete immunity from prosecution.

“As the result today shows, this will not be tolerated and North Yorkshire Police will ensure offenders are investigated and brought to justice.

“My advice to those who have these devices fitted to their vehicles and believe they're untouchable, is to remove them immediately.

"As we've seen today, if you pervert the course of justice you’ll face far worse than a speeding fine.”