A police “systems administrator” in a speeding ticket office was jailed for ten months for deleting video evidence and altering computer records so he and his wife could avoid penalties for going too fast.

Martin Gorst, 55, of Lon Cwybr, Rhuddlan, pleaded guilty to trying to pervert justice in January 2015 and between October 30 and November 5 last year.

Judge Rhys Rowlands at Mold crown court told him :”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.

“As an employee of the police you were trusted with access to sensitive information and expected to carry out your work in a diligent and trustworthy fashion.”

He said Gorst, who’d since resigned, had “betrayed that trust” and took advantage of his position to alter computer records twice. An “element of deterrence” was called for, said Judge Rowlands.

“Having got away with it in 2015 you did it again last year, no doubt in your own mind being confident you would get away with it a second time. Such behaviour can only be viewed as calculated,” the judge remarked.

Gorst had been a member of a development group for the fixed penalty processing systems with responsibility for data protection. Judge Rowlands said :”As such your behaviour involves a quite cynical breach of the trust involved.”

Two other drivers also escaped enforcement action for speeding because of his behaviour last year.

Prosecuting barrister Andrew Green said Gorst had been employed by North Wales police for 16 years and worked in the central ticket office at St Asaph. The offences came to light when a speed camera van caught him doing 37mph in a 30mph limit.

The officer in the van recognised Gorst, wearing a distinctive cowboy hat, but discovered the recording had been wiped on November 1 and replaced with other footage.

Further inquiries revealed the previous speeding offence involving Gorst’s wife Angela. But the defendant had altered computer records to benefit her.

Mr Green said Gorst had been chairman of a national development group for fixed penalty processing systems.

Roger Brown, defending, said what happened had been “madness.” Gorst had a clean driving licence. “There was really no reason for him doing this. His main concern was he didn’t want his wife to discover this because she would have become very upset.”

In 2019 Gorst hadn’t been in the best of mental health.

Mr Brown said Gorst’s stepdaughter died on Christmas Day 2014 and her funeral was the day before the 2015 offence. The defendant wanted to lessen his wife’s distress. “There’s no suggestion she knew anything about this at all,” Mr Brown emphasised. “It was entirely his doing.”

Gorst had lost his £20,000-a-year job.

Judge Rowlands told the defendant there was destruction of evidence for gain. He added :”These offences are far too serious to be dealt with by anything other than an immediate prison sentence.”