The North Yorkshire Police on Monday proudly tweeted the photo of a man who had just begun an eight-month jail term for “perverting the course of justice.”

While it seems some people thought he had been jailed for flipping off a traffic camera, it turns out 67-year-old Timothy Hill had lied about having a laser jammer attached to his car.

Police wrote on their website as a warning to others who might similarly pervert justice:

The judge who jailed Hill said such actions “strike at the heart” of the justice system and his sentence must act as a deterrent to others.

Traffic Constable Andrew Forth, who led the investigation for North Yorkshire Police, said afterward: “If you want to attract our attention, repeatedly gesturing at police camera vans with your middle finger while you’re driving a distinctive car fitted with a laser jammer is an excellent way to do it.

“It’s also an excellent way to end up in prison. As Hill’s case shows, perverting the course of justice is a very serious charge which carries a custodial sentence.”

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