ladbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

YouTuber Lands Himself In Court After Filming Himself Speeding And Uploading Footage To Facebook

YouTuber Lands Himself In Court After Filming Himself Speeding And Uploading Footage To Facebook

London-based Joe Achilles has 57,000 subscribers on YouTube, where he shares content under the moniker of ‘Mr BMW’

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

A YouTuber has landed himself in court after he filmed himself speeding along one of the UK's most dangerous roads at nearly 100mph - before later uploading it to Facebook.

Joe Achilles, 40, had been driving along the A57 Snake Pass in the Peak District in a £100,000 Audi R8 on 3 November.

London-based Achilles has over 57,000 subscribers on YouTube, where he shares content under the moniker of 'Mr BMW'.

He runs a London-based chauffeur company, with his website claiming he is a 'professional, engaging driver with personality, discretion and charm,' and that he has 'chaperoned some of the world's top models and celebrities, ensuring they get to and from jobs, events and private appointments quickly, on time and in a calm and comfortable manner'.

YouTube

Officers from Derbyshire Constabulary's Roads Policing Unit spotted footage of Achilles' high-speed journey after he uploaded it online.

Using state-of-the-art technology, detectives were able to prove the motoring journalist had been speeding as he drove the sports car towards Sheffield - calculating a total of 11 average speeds, not one of which was within the area's 50mph limit.

According to police, the slowest Achilles had been travelling along the scenic road - a notorious accident black spot - was 58mph, while the fastest speed was 93mph.

Achilles, of Denham in Uxbridge, was then summoned to Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court, where he was found guilty of speeding and handed a fine of £615 ($797).

He was also ordered to pay costs of £620 ($800) and his licence endorsed with six points.

Achilles was brought to justice using state of the art technology.
SWNS

Describing Achilles' attempt to gain views on social media as 'pathetic', Sergeant Adam Shipley said: "This type of driving is careless, reckless and selfish.

"On this occasion, thankfully nobody died, but all too often the outcome very different.

"For a man who drives for a profession I am appalled that he seemingly has so little value for the lives of other road users.

"The roads of the UK are not race tracks and should not be used as such.

"Strapping a GoPro to the side of a car and driving in this manner - all in a bid to get viewers on social media - is quite frankly pathetic.

"I hope this case sends a message to others like Joe Achilles who think they can come to our county and put lives at risk.

"We may not see you at the time but know that we have the capability to ensure that you are brought to justice."

The Snake Pass is known for being a scenic but dangerous route.
SWNS

Derbyshire Police said officers had been investigating an entirely different matter when they stumbled upon the incriminating footage.

Sgt Shipley added: "At that point we turned to Road Safety Support.

"RSS provide help in all sorts of road safety matters to forces around the country; however, ours was a very specific request.

"We needed to be able to prove the speed the car was travelling at along what, myself and my team know only too well, is one of our most deadly roads."

Steve Callaghan, technical support manager for RSS, was then able to work out exactly how fast Achilles' Audi R8 had been travelling.

Callaghan said: "I examined the video file and was able to find the location of the incident, starting at the car park of the Snake Pass Inn, driving east towards Sheffield.

"The Facebook video showed road markings and traffic signs that were distinctive, and which were able to be identified in the video as well as the Google Earth Pro application.

"Distances between the signs were measured with the application and the timing of the journeys between the signs was calculated from the video file.

"With the distances and times established it was possible to calculate a series of average speeds between the landmarks."

Featured Image Credit: SWNS

Topics: UK News, News, Cars