A MOTORCYCLIST who put a bag over his number plate in a bid to foil a speed camera was still tracked down by police, York Crown Court heard.

Richard Anthony Burndred concealed his bike’s registration when he saw the camera van up ahead, said prosecutor Stephen Welsh.

He was doing 70mph on a 60mph stretch of the A169 at High Kingthorpe, north of Pickering.

But police traced him and prosecuted him for perverting the course of justice, as well as speeding.

Ben Knight, defending, said Burndred’s conviction and prison sentence would mean USA immigration would now not let him into the States, where many of his family live.

“The impact this will have on the rest of his life will be in a rather wider way than the speeding points could have,” he said.

Mr Welsh said had Burndred not tried to evade justice he could have gone on a driver improvement course instead of being prosecuted.

“He has deprived himself of that opportunity,” said Judge Paul Worsley QC.

Burndred, 38, of Britannia Road, Huddersfield, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice and speeding.

The judge said the perverting justice offence had to receive a prison sentence because it “strikes at the root of justice”.

Burndred was given a four-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months, fined £250, ordered to pay £500 prosecution costs - and given three penalty points on his licence.

Mr Welsh said Burndred and another motorcyclist were doing 70mph on the A169 North Yorks Moors on September 2.

When he saw the police camera van, he stopped and put the bag over the number plate. But the camera had already clocked him doing 10mph more than the speed limit.

Mr Knight said Burndred was remorseful.