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Man jailed for speed camera blast Man jailed for speed camera blast
(30 minutes later)
A man who blew up a speed camera because he feared he would lose his licence after he was snapped speeding has been jailed for four months.A man who blew up a speed camera because he feared he would lose his licence after he was snapped speeding has been jailed for four months.
Craig Moore, 28, of Grampian Way in Thorne, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, admitted damaging property last month.Craig Moore, 28, of Grampian Way in Thorne, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, admitted damaging property last month.
He used the chemical thermite, which he obtained from his welding job, to destroy the camera, which caught him driving in Hyde, Greater Manchester. He destroyed the camera using material from his welding job after he was caught in Hyde near Manchester.
But the camera was a dummy which cannot be used to prosecute drivers. Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court heard Moore's van was caught on the camera before it was attacked.
Following on sentencing at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court, Tameside Council confirmed that Moore destroyed a Watchman camera - used to deter drivers from speeding by flashing.
The devices have smaller boxes than the usual Gatso speed cameras, do not emit such a bright flash, and also contain CCTV equipment which can be used to monitor street activity.
Moore used chemicals from his welding job to destroy the cameraMoore used chemicals from his welding job to destroy the camera
Moore's actions of blowing up the camera caused £11,700 of damage to the machine which had flashed at him while he was exceeding the speed limit on Mottram Road on 14 August last year. Moore's actions caused £11,700 of damage to the machine which had flashed at him while he was exceeding the speed limit on Mottram Road on 14 August last year.
Moore, who was a railway worker for Vital Rail, was in a work vehicle with a colleague.Moore, who was a railway worker for Vital Rail, was in a work vehicle with a colleague.
He claimed he was afraid he would lose his job if he was caught speeding. He already had 10 points on his licence and thought he would receive a driving ban if more were added.He claimed he was afraid he would lose his job if he was caught speeding. He already had 10 points on his licence and thought he would receive a driving ban if more were added.
Later that night, he drove 40 miles back to the camera with a quantity of the chemically volatile substance Thermite, used by railway workers to weld tracks. Later that night, he drove 40 miles back to the camera with a quantity of material to create a thermite reaction - a process which would melt the camera's metal body in an explosive fire.
At 2345 BST later that night, the Watchman camera exploded.
Camera recordingCamera recording
A recording from the hard-drive of the camera showed the Ford Transit van approaching the camera. A recording from the hard-drive of the camera showed the Ford Transit van approaching.
As the vehicle was driven off, sparks were seen coming from the camera box and then it exploded.As the vehicle was driven off, sparks were seen coming from the camera box and then it exploded.
Police checked the tracker device fitted to the van, which showed it had arrived in Hyde, stopped on Mottram Road and then returned to the Doncaster area, where it was parked outside Moore's home address.Police checked the tracker device fitted to the van, which showed it had arrived in Hyde, stopped on Mottram Road and then returned to the Doncaster area, where it was parked outside Moore's home address.
Pc Mark Akers, of Greater Manchester Police, said: "Instead of just accepting that he had been caught travelling above the speed limit, Moore decided to blow the camera apart.Pc Mark Akers, of Greater Manchester Police, said: "Instead of just accepting that he had been caught travelling above the speed limit, Moore decided to blow the camera apart.
"He obviously thought that by destroying the main camera he was destroying all the evidence. But a combination of hard work and the latest technology led to his conviction.""He obviously thought that by destroying the main camera he was destroying all the evidence. But a combination of hard work and the latest technology led to his conviction."
Andrew Bailey, defending, said Moore knew adding extra speeding points to the 10 points he already had on his driving licence would mean he would lose it, and with it, his livelihood.Andrew Bailey, defending, said Moore knew adding extra speeding points to the 10 points he already had on his driving licence would mean he would lose it, and with it, his livelihood.
However, the device was a Watchman camera which provides the local authority with traffic information.
The authority uses the information to write to offenders but does not carry out prosecutions.