A TEENAGER who regularly rode past speed cameras at speeds of up to £123mph has been handed a suspended prison sentence and a driving ban.

Inspector Matt Boiles, of Avon and Somerset Police, said Harvey Thomas, 19, of Emersons Green, South Gloucestershire, “clearly thought himself to be above the law” before being snared by officers in an unmarked police car.

Thomas was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court after being convicted of one count of dangerous driving, six counts of exceeding a 40mph speed limit in contravention of a Local Traffic Order, and two counts of exceeding a 50mph speed limit.

He received a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and was ordered to pay £150 costs and a £187 victim surcharge.

As part of the sentence, Thomas will undergo rehabilitation activities and carry out 120 hours of unpaid work over the next 12 months. He’s also been disqualified from driving for 18 months and will have to undertake an extended test following the ban.

Thomas, who committed the offences over a three-month period earlier this year mainly in Filton and Patchway, used a motorbike without number plates in a bid to avoid justice, but following an investigation police were able to identify him and the bike he was using and link him to multiple offences.

On Sunday, April 28, roads policing officer PC Mark Lambert, who was in an unmarked car, spotted a bike being ridden without plates near junction 17 of the M5 northbound.

The bike made off at speed and officers pursued it. The bike reached speeds of up to 150mph during the pursuit, which went onto the M4 westbound and across the Prince of Wales bridge, before heading back in the opposite direction.

Officers used a rolling roadblock to slow down other traffic down so they could safely stop and detain him on the M4 eastbound, prior to junction 20.

Insp Matt Boiles said: “Harvey Thomas put the lives of others, as well as his own life, at risk by the dangerous and reckless driving he engaged in. There was clear evidence he regularly rode at speeds of up to 123mph past fixed camera sites and he clearly thought himself to be above the law.

“Our investigation was complex, due to the bike being ridden without a vehicle registration mark and the fact Thomas was dressed in dark unidentifiable clothing.

“Officers and staff from our roads policing unit, intelligence team and our stolen vehicle examiner, worked together to carry out enquiries and they were able to identify both the rider and the bike, which has ultimately led to this conviction.

“During the pursuit, Thomas rode at extremely dangerous speeds and it was only due to the skills and tactics of the responding officers that this incident was brought to a safe conclusion.”

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