A biker who tried to tried to cover up his vehicle’s number plate to avoid being caught speeding has been sentenced in court.
Robert Went, 43, from Bolton, was riding a black BMW S1000 RR motorcycle at 4pm on 3 June 2018 on the B6479 at Horton, near Settle, in North Yorkshire.
The speed of the motorcycle was measured by a North Yorkshire Police safety camera vehicle to be 86mph – over the 60mph speed limit for that road.
The motorcyclist stopped before the police vehicle and had a discussion with another rider. He then continued to travel towards the vehicle, using his gloved left hand to cover up his rear registration plate.
An investigation was launched, led by Traffic Constable Andrew Forth from the Traffic Bureau Investigation Team at North Yorkshire Police. Went was identified as the rider at the time. When interviewed, he admitted that he believed he had been caught speeding, and covered his number plate so police could not identify his bike.
On Friday 7 June 2019 at Bradford Crown Court, Went pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice and was ordered to complete 240 hours of supervised work, and to pay a fine and costs totalling £2,285.
After the case, TC Forth said: “This is the third motorcyclist successfully prosecuted by North Yorkshire Police for this type of offence, where a rider covers their number plate after being caught speeding. It seems this act is on the increase on North Yorkshire’s roads – but it will not be tolerated, and any reports will be investigated and offenders put before the courts. Other investigations are already underway for similar incidents.
“North Yorkshire Police will be actively targeting key locations throughout the year with increased patrols, to make our roads safer for the communities of North Yorkshire.”
