A CRAVEN businessman who fitted a device to his Jaguar car so he could "jam" speed detection equipment used by the police has been jailed for two months.

Nigel Stephenson, 65, looked shocked and stunned as Judge Jonathan Rose told him that he would have to go to jail for two offences of perverting the course of justice committed within four days of each other last August.

Stephenson, of Ghyll Close, Steeton, had been cautioned by police in April 2010 for using a similar device and last year he was caught speeding twice before he committed the latest offences.

Prosecutor Jessica Strange told Bradford Crown Court how an officer had tried to record the speed of Stephenson's car using a hand-held detector as it travelled along the A59 between Bolton Abbey and Harrogate, but despite three attempts he was unable to obtain a reading.

Miss Strange said the hand-held device was displaying an error code and there was also audible feedback coming from it.

Four days later the Jaguar was spotted again on the A629 at Cross Hills and again the hand-held detector failed to take a reading.

Both incidents were captured on video and Miss Strange said the officers believed that the Jaguar had been fitted with a device to prevent its speed being recorded.

Police officers went to Stephenson's home address last October and arrested him on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.

When the Jaguar was examined it was found to have a Snooper device mounted on the dashboard, which alerted the driver to the presence of speed cameras, and another "jammer" device which interfered with speed detection devices was fitted to the front of the vehicle.

Judge Rose ordered the destruction of the two devices recovered from the Jaguar and also banned Stephenson from driving for six months.

Stephenson's barrister, Gerard Doran, said his client was a man who had previously led a very positive and successful life and he was worried that his business might be at risk as a result of his actions.

But Judge Rose emphasised that Stephenson was not the victim in the case and described him as the perpetrator of two serious offences of perverting the course of justice.

"The victims of your offending are those who drive on the roads and abide by the speed limits imposed by law - imposed for the safety of everybody," said Judge Rose.

The judge said the caution in 2010 had been a warning to Stephenson, but it was ignored in 2014 when he committed two speeding offences and subsequently equipped his car with devices so that he could avoid the law with impunity.

"You will understand, as will others who choose to spend significant amounts of money equipping their car so that they can break the law as they wish, that prison is the outcome for offences such as this," warned Judge Rose.

Stephenson, who is likely to be released from prison after a couple of weeks, will also have to pay £1,000 costs.