Driver is CLEARED of criminal charges after boasting that he drove from John O'Groats to Land's End in record-breaking time with average speed of 89mph

A boy racer who boasted that he had set a new record for driving the 837-mile journey between Land's End and John O'Groats has been cleared of criminal charges. 

Thomas Davies claimed to have made the 841 mile journey from the furtherst southwest and northeast corners of the UK in nine hours and 36 minutes back in September 2017, a court heard.

But after going public with his record, the 29-year-old was prosecuted for two counts of dangerous driving and perverting the course of justice. 

He has been on trial at Truro Crown Court this week but was today cleared by a jury. 

Prosecutors alleged he had used two transponders to detect upcoming speed cameras, and also had fake Irish number plates on the car.

But these claims were discredited by a traffic camera expert who said none of the equipment in Davies' car 'could have prevented the fixed speed camera activating'.

Thomas Davies, 29, boasted that he drove from Land's End in Cornwall to John O'Groats in Scotland in September 2017, but landed in court for dangerous driving and perverting the course of justice

Davies, of Corwen in North Wales, was today cleared of the charges by a jury at Truro Crown Court

Truro Crown Court heard police raided Davies home in Corwen, North Wales and examined at his silver Audi Quatro car.

They found an 80 litre fuel tank in the boot of his Audi S5 coupe and four transponders hidden under the registration plates.

The court heard these are used as jammers to warn of speed cameras and police vehicles.

Prosecutor Ryan Murray told the jury that Davies used illegal methods by fitting the equipment to break the record without being caught speeding on the trek along motorways and main roads. 

Prosecutors alleged he had used two transponders to detect upcoming speed cameras, and also had fake Irish number plates on the car. He also built an additional fuel tank in the boot

A map shows the route Davies took from John O'Groats to Land's End in September 2017. Prosecutors told a court the journey between Britain's furthest points would normally take around 15 hours if driven legally

He added that the journey between Britain's furthest points would normally take around 15 hours if driven legally.

Mr Murray said to do it in the time Davies claimed, his average speed would have been 89mph.

Giving evidence Davies backtracked and said he did make the trip but he was not the driver.

He said he was a passenger in a similar looking Audi which was being driven by Irish friends he met within the car enthusiast community.

The specially adapted Audi S5 with a 4.2 litre VA engine. Giving evidence Davies backtracked and said he did make the trip but he was not the driver

In their account of the dive, Davies said he stopped once to refuel, meeting two friends with 150 litres of petrol in a van at a junction near Lancaster services at 1.18am, before arriving at Land's End at 5.36am

The prosecution alleged that Davies had used scanning devices which detect speed cameras to avoid being caught speeding on the route, as well as fake or cloned registration plates.

They also said Davies did not reveal his record breaking effort for some time because speeding offences have to be prosecuted within six months.

Davies in his evidence said he had exaggerated his media claims and called his account 'an exaggeration of real life'.

Driving experts on Vanessa Feltz's radio show were skeptical about his claims.

One said: 'I smell a rat. If his average speed was 89mph then he must have hit 150mph.'

Davies, who defended himself in court, denied two charges of dangerous driving and two of doing acts intended to pervert the course of justice. he was cleared by a jury at Truro Crown Court

Another compared him to the comedian Steve Coogan's radio DJ host Alan Partridge and questioned if it was a PR stunt.

But defence witness and speed camera expert William Campbell, a retired traffic cop, said none of the equipment in Davies' car 'could have prevented the fixed speed camera activiating'.

As it was Davies was given a £100 fine for speeding by police in Scotland and cameras in Cheshire and the West Midlands snapped a a similar looking car but with the fake plates, the registered owner could not be traced.

Much of the evidence was from experts who examined cell phone evidence, car tracking systems, navigation and speed cameras.

Davies, who defended himself in court, denied two charges of dangerous driving and two of doing acts intended to pervert the course of justice.

He was discharged by the judge at the end of four hours of jury deliberations.