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Borehamwood motorcyclist caught speeding 66 times
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| Caught on camera: Sheehan-Dinler was pictured 66 times by speed cameras |
A Borehamwood motorcyclist who was caught speeding 66 times on six different bikes has escaped a jail sentence.
Judge Barbara Mensah told Patrick Sheehan-Dinler, 29, of Aycliffe Road, that he was "arrogant, irresponsible, and selfish", but handed him a six-month suspended jail term because he had shown remorse.
Last Friday, Luton Crown Court heard the former road worker had been caught speeding on Elstree Way, in Borehamwood, 66 times, travelling regularly at 40mph and 50mph and on one occasion at up to 88mph, during a two year period.
Ian Wade, prosecuting, said Sheehan-Dinler was pictured each time giving a "time-honoured gesture" to the speed camera by showing his middle finger.
He was first caught on camera in April 2004 while serving a driving ban for previous motoring offences.
His speeding continued for a number of months, but because he wore different clothes and rode six different bikes, the only lead police initially had was that it was the same "mysterious rider" with "the same hunched figure".
Mr Wade said: "It was the defendant's efforts to frustrate the attempts of the authorities to prosecute him and his cavalier gesture that represent his attitude to speeding."
Police eventually tracked down Sheehan-Dinler by researching his purchase of motorcycle parts and clothing on Ebay.
Although the items were bought under different names, they were all listed for his Borehamwood address.
When he was arrested in November 2006, he told officers the Yamaha and Honda motorbikes had been registered to his address under different names because he had allowed friends to register bikes to his home.
But in court he pleaded guilty to six counts of perverting the course of justice.
Yasin Patel, defending, said his client had turned over a new leaf prior to his arrest and had changed his attitude because he wanted to be a good father to his one-year-daughter.
Mr Patel said: "In the defendant's own words his daughter means the whole world to me'. He was fostered as a child himself and he does not want his daughter to have a childhood like his."
He added that Sheehan-Dinler was full of remorse and keen to repay society for what he had done.
Judge Mensah told Sheehan-Dinler the offences crossed the custody threshold because of the waste of police time, danger to other road users and level of deception involved.
She said: "Your behaviour undermines justice and diverted valuable police time and resources. You were persistent in your lying and efforts to deceive by disposing of your bikes and clothes. You could have come clean a lot sooner.
| You were persistent in your lying and efforts to deceive by disposing of your bikes and clothes | | Judge Barbara Mensah |
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"Other aggravating factors were that you were disqualified from driving and the arrogance of your behaviour which was shown by your hand gesture.
"You were a danger to other road users as you could have caused injuries at the speeds you were going."
But despite the aggravating factors, she gave him a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, because had shown remorse, a change of attitude and had apologised to the police.
He was also ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid community work and was fined £300 costs.
Sheehan-Dinler was not given a new driving ban because the judge heard he no longer rides motorbikes but does need to drive a car for work.
Following the sentencing, PC Ian Wilson, who led the investigation, said: "Motorists who put themselves and everyone else in danger by exceeding the speed limits will face prosecution and those attempting to pervert the course of justice will be rigorously investigated and risk more serious charges being brought against them.
"I hope this investigation shows that those attempting to evade justice in Hertfordshire will not escape prosecution."
County councillor Stuart Pile, executive member for transport, said: "There is no excuse for anyone to think they are above the law. The Hertfordshire Safety Camera Partnership will always seek to prosecute those who treat the rules of the road with contempt."
8:09am Monday 17th March 2008
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