Latest news with #PCJackJackson
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Telegraph
Speeding motorcyclist incriminated himself in social media post
A motorcyclist who filmed himself speeding at almost 100 mph was caught on his dash-cam footage after it went viral on Instagram. Benjamin Males, 22, was incriminated by his social media post, which attracted more than a million views when he uploaded the video in April, despite his efforts to conceal his identity by tagging the video's location as Mexico. The footage showed the motorcyclist speeding along country roads in Shropshire at 98mph and pulling dangerous wheelies. The rider also went on to have several near misses and reached speeds of 89 mph in a 50 mph zone in wet conditions, according to West Mercia Police. 'An appalling disregard for road safety' At one point, he almost lost control after zooming across a roundabout, and his front wheel can be seen lifting off the ground. Police officers were able to identify Males as the rider in the footage and said the video showed 'an appalling disregard for road safety'. He was arrested and charged with five counts of dangerous driving, which he pleaded guilty to at Telford Magistrates Court on Wednesday, July 30. Males of Shrewsbury was disqualified from driving for 18 months, after which he must then pass an extended test. 'Dangerous behaviour on our roads' He was also ordered to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work, given a rehabilitation order and fined £199. PC Jack Jackson, from Telford's Operational Policing Unit, said: 'I want to make it absolutely clear that we will take robust action when we see dangerous behaviour on our roads, including when it's posted online. 'The footage in this case, uploaded by Males himself to Instagram, showed an appalling disregard for road safety. 'His conviction should serve as a stark warning that social media is not a shield from prosecution. 'We have at our disposal a variety of means to identify individuals from social media, even when they take extra measures to obscure their identity, and this serves as proof of the effectiveness of our investigations. 'Dangerous riding doesn't just put the rider at risk, it endangers innocent road users and influences others to copy reckless behaviour. 'If you choose to put lives at risk on our roads, you can expect to be held accountable.'
BBC News
4 days ago
- BBC News
Shropshire biker banned after posting speeding videos online
A man who posted videos of himself on social media riding a motorbike at nearly 100mph has been caught, banned from driving and Males, 22, of Holgate Drive, Shrewsbury, shared the videos of his bike rides in the county on Instagram, where they were discovered by West Mercia Police after the content went had tried to hide his identity - and tagged the location as Mexico - but local landmarks and the British countryside were clearly recognisable and police were able to identify him. He was charged with five counts of dangerous admitted all charges at Telford Magistrates' Court last month and was disqualified from driving for 18 months and ordered to take an extended test at the end of the period. He was also told to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work, given a rehabilitation order, and fined £ footage, filmed in the Shrewsbury and Wem areas and posted online in April, came to the attention of officers after it gained more than a million views. After the court hearing, PC Jack Jackson, said: "The footage in this case, uploaded by Males himself to Instagram, showed an appalling disregard for road safety."He said the conviction should serve as "a stark warning" that social media is not a shield from prosecution, adding police had a range of means to identify people Jackson said: "Dangerous riding doesn't just put the rider at risk, it endangers innocent road users and influences others to copy reckless behaviour." Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Viral Instagram video sees 100mph motorcyclist banned from the roads
A "reckless" rider who posted a video of him reaching "dangerous" speeds of almost 100mph on Instagram has been banned from the roads. Benjamin Males "showed an appalling disregard for road safety" in the clip, which went viral on social media. More than one million people had viewed the video, which showed the 22-year-old riding a motorbike dangerously around areas of Shrewsbury and Wem, when it was discovered by West Mercia Police. READ MORE: Corrupt airport boss behind Colombia cocaine plot jailed alongside Midland couple The clip was uploaded in April, but despite attempts to hide his identity, officers were able to identify Males, who had also tagged the video location as Mexico. Males, of Holgate Drive in Shrewsbury, was arrested and charged that same month. During a hearing at Telford Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, July 30, Males admitted five counts of dangerous driving. He was fined £199, ordered to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work and given a rehabilitation order. Males was also disqualified from driving for 18 months and must then pass an extended test. Following the sentencing, PC Jack Jackson, from Telford's Operational Policing Unit, said: "I want to make it absolutely clear that we will take robust action when we see dangerous behaviour on our roads, including when it's posted online. 'The footage in this case, uploaded by Males himself to Instagram, showed an appalling disregard for road safety. "His conviction should serve as a stark warning that social media is not a shield from prosecution. 'We have at our disposal a variety of means to identify individuals from social media, even when they take extra measures to obscure their identity, and this serves as proof of the effectiveness of our investigations. 'Dangerous riding doesn't just put the rider at risk, it endangers innocent road users and influences others to copy reckless behaviour. "If you choose to put lives at risk on our roads you can expect to be held accountable."
