Dangerous driver sentenced after Instagram post goes viral

A man has been disqualified from driving after an Instagram post of him reaching speeds of almost 100mph in Shropshire was discovered by police.

Benjamin Males, of Holgate Drive in Shrewsbury, came to the attention of officers after a video of him driving a motorbike dangerously around areas of Shrewsbury and Wem started to go viral on social media.

Males’ video, which was posted to social media in April this year, had already gained over one million views when officers discovered it.

Despite Males taking steps to hide his identity in the video and tagging the location as Mexico, officers were able to identify the 22-year-old as the rider.

He was arrested and charged that same month with five counts of dangerous driving.

On Wednesday (July 30) Males pled guilty to the five counts of dangerous driving at Telford Magistrates Court. He was disqualified from driving for 18 months and must then pass an extended test.

Males was also ordered to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work, given a rehabilitation order and fined £199.

PC Jack Jackson, from Telford’s Operational Policing Unit, said: "I want to make it absolutely clear that we will take robust action when we see dangerous behaviour on our roads, including when it's posted online.

“The footage in this case, uploaded by Males himself to Instagram, showed an appalling disregard for road safety. His conviction should serve as a stark warning that social media is not a shield from prosecution.

“We have at our disposal a variety of means to identify individuals from social media, even when they take extra measures to obscure their identity, and this serves as proof of the effectiveness of our investigations.

“Dangerous riding doesn’t just put the rider at risk, it endangers innocent road users and influences others to copy reckless behaviour.

“Under Operation Indiana, the force is targeting high-risk road use through enforcement, education, and partnership work. If you choose to put lives at risk on our roads you can expect to be held accountable."