Driver who live-streamed himself
speeding and driving dangerously
is jailed and banned from driving
for five years
A man who live-streamed himself on Facebook while speeding and driving dangerously has been jailed for over two years and banned from driving for five years.
Swansea Crown Court heard that Justin Dean Jones, of Panteg, Llanelli, filmed himself driving at grossly excessive speeds and racing other vehicles on a number of occasions in the Llanelli area in summer 2020.
The videos were discovered following a two-week investigation, led by PC Roger Jones from the Go Safe Road Harm and Casualty Reduction Enquiry Team, as part of the Operation Snap initiative, after links to the videos on Facebook were sent in by a concerned member of the public.
Three separate videos, filmed between July 2 and July 14, were discovered, clearly showing Jones using his mobile phone to film himself at the wheel.
The footage showed him speeding in a Vauxhall Astra and a BMW X5 in a 30mph zone on Glyncoed Road, Llandafen Road and Gelli Road in Llanelli, and reaching speeds of up to 120mph on the A484 Loughor link road, while overtaking other motorists.
In one video, the 30-year-old was seen overtaking other vehicles on pedestrian crossings during broad daylight when other road users were present and were exposed to a significant risk of harm, the court was told.
Jones, who was holding the phone in one hand while driving, can be heard on the videos boasting about the performance of the vehicle.
As members of Road Safety Support (RSS), Go Safe sought the help of Steve Callaghan, the not-for-profit company’s forensic video analyst, to examine the footage.
Mr Callaghan conducted a thorough review of the evidence and was able to calculate the exact speeds that were driven in the incidents.
At the hearing on November 26, 2020, Jones was sentenced for three counts of dangerous driving. He was given a custodial sentence of 25 months and disqualified from driving for 62 months.
An anti-social behaviour destruction order has also been granted for the Astra and the BMW and is pending.
Sgt Ian Price, of the Go Safe Road Harm Team, said: “The sentence handed out by the Judge today of just over two years in prison and a five year ban from driving shows that Jones’ driving record and the high risk that he poses to other road users.
“It is a clear message that this type of behaviour is unacceptable and ensures the removal of a dangerous driver from society and we hope that it gives him enough time to reflect on his actions in prison.”
He added: “We would like to thank Road Safety Support for helping us in this matter and ensuring this individual is no longer a danger to society over the next two years.”
