15th August 2000

Mr H. Williams,
Watkins & Gunn,
Glantorfaen House,
Hanbury Road,
Pontypool,
NP4 6XY

Dear Mr Williams,

I can't wait for you to explain to me how they have managed to wheedle out of letting me have a copy of the video but I knew that I would never get one. It's incredible the lengths that the police are now prepared to go to - to nick people for speeding.

Next time I perpetrate a heinous crime in Gwent I will make sure that it is something much less serious like armed robbery.

After I wrote to Inspector Flynn on the 2nd August (you have a copy of that letter) she phoned me at 22:30 on the 3rd August blissfully unaware of what Starsky and Hutch had been up to - she didn't even know what video I was referring to in my letter. She has written to me again after speaking to P.C. Herdman ! I have written back to her putting the record straight (a copy of that letter is attached) you will note that I appear particularly reasonable in that letter and went out of my way not to criticise the officers involved. If they are not reasonable in return I will be forced to adopt an altogether different attitude.

The video obviously supports my version of events or I would have a copy of it. After all, you see them all the time on Police Camera Action. It isn't essential that I actually view it at this point; all I am interested in is: The maximum speed that the patrol car reached whilst "accelerating up to me at the Caldra" I estimate this to be about 120mph and I know this is a serious breech of procedures.

My speed at the Caldra and confirmation that I had decelerated down the steep Malpas hill without braking.
The fact that the patrol car was then very close to the rear of my vehicle and that it was not displaying any warning lights.
The fact that after initially accelerating I did invite the patrol car to over take me and that it declined the invitation.

I think that they will want the video back as soon as possible so do all you can to stall them. Can we keep it until the case is over and who is allowed to view it? It is obvious that the C.P.S. are never going to view their copy so it will be quite interesting in court when you have presented my defence comparing what actually happened with P.C. Herdman's statement and the Magistrate asks the Prosecution to comment.

If, after viewing the video, you think that you will have a reasonable chance of getting me off I would ask you to enter a plea of not guilty on the 5th September. I believe that to have been 'speeding' you have to have been recorded at over 90mph for a mile and all I know is that if the patrol car hadn't "accelerated up to me" as it did I wouldn't have been.

I think that we should meet before the 5th September to discuss what to do next. I shall be out of the country from the 6th to the 25th September.

I shall call you to discuss the matter further.