A motorcyclist has been sentenced after attempting to evade a speeding ticket with a “flipped” number plate.
Jack Beckwith, 18, of Daiglen Drive in South Ockendon, was caught travelling at 51mph in a 30mph zone on South Road in South Ockendon on August 31, which led to an investigation by Essex Police’s Roads Safety Team.
A speed enforcement camera recorded the offence, but the motorcycle’s rear number plate was obscured.
Officers soon discovered the plate had been deliberately flipped to avoid detection.
Working with the wider camera network, they traced the motorcycle’s route and identified its registration number.
Comparable images showed the same rider wearing distinctive boots and a helmet using the same bike earlier that day.
A Notice of Intended Prosecution was sent to Beckwith, who falsely claimed that his motorcycle had been cloned.
He was arrested in October on suspicion of perverting the course of justice, speeding, and licence offences.
During a search of his home, officers found the motorcycle, the distinctive clothing, and evidence that the bike was fitted with a hinged bracket mechanism to flip and conceal the number plate.
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A smaller, non-compliant plate was attached to the bike, and no L plate was displayed despite Beckwith holding only a provisional licence.
A larger, legal plate and tools were also found nearby.
During police interview, Beckwith admitted he was the rider and confessed to making the false cloning claim in an attempt to avoid prosecution.
At Basildon Crown Court on June 11, Beckwith was sentenced to a 12-month community order and a 12-week overnight curfew.
He was also fined £150, given three penalty points for speeding, and ordered to pay costs.
The offence of not displaying L plates was left to lie on file.
PC Paul Simmons of Essex Police said: "Using any method to obscure a number plate is illegal and is often used by people trying to evade justice for offences such as speeding or dangerous driving.
"Number plates are there to identify vehicles and keep people accountable on our roads.
"Deliberately hiding them undermines road safety and will not be tolerated."
A flipped plate is designed to physically hide or tilt the registration plate to prevent it from being read by cameras.
Essex Police said it continues to target unsafe and unlawful behaviour on the roads, including the use of illegal or modified number plates.
