Police worker who deleted speeding evidence jailed

A man has been jailed after deleting video evidence at the speeding ticket office where he worked to prevent him and his wife getting penalties.

Martin Gorst, 55, from Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice.

He was found out when a van caught him speeding, its officer recognised him but found the recording had been wiped.

The North Wales Police systems administrator was jailed for 10 months at Mold Crown Court.

The court heard he had also lost his £20,000-a-year job.

Further inquiries revealed as well as wiping the tape and altering records between 30 October and 5 November 2019, after being found doing 37mph in a 30mph zone in St Asaph, he had also altered computer records in January 2015 about a speeding offence committed by his wife.

There was no suggestion she knew anything about it, Gorst's counsel said.

Judge Rhys Rowlands told Gorst: "You've pleaded guilty to what are two very serious offences which strike at the very heart of our system of justice and the confidence which the general public have in it being administered fairly and impartially.

"These offences are far too serious to be dealt with by anything other than an immediate prison sentence."