A WOMAN was sued in court for locking a Tesla in a Poole parking lot after the car’s on-board cameras caught her in the act.
The owner of the Tesla discovered the £ 1,000 worth of damage caused when his partner got home in the vehicle.
After not being sure what caused it, the footage stored on the car’s hard drive was able to provide all the answers.
He gave the police clear records of the crime committed, as well as pictures of the perpetrator’s face as she approached the vehicle and the license plate number of her vehicle, which was parked next to the Tesla.
This enabled the officers to conduct an investigation earlier this month and obtain a court conviction.
A police spokeswoman said police received a report of criminal damage to a vehicle in the Redlands car park in Poole at around 7:10 p.m. on June 21. The incident was reported to have occurred around 1:25 p.m. the previous day.
A spokesman for the Dorset Police Department said: “The affected vehicle had an on-board surveillance camera that provided clear and exceptional images that captured the damage done to the defendant.
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“The defendant was identified from the footage and then brought to justice to bear the consequences for her actions.”
The crime was filmed using the vehicle’s “watch mode”, which continuously monitors the area around the car when it is left unattended.
Tesla’s website says “watch mode” uses the car’s external cameras to detect potential threats.
“Although no alarm system can ward off all vehicle thefts, break-ins and threats, we hope that your Tesla will be even more secure with the guard mode and our other security functions,” said the automaker.
The owner of the damaged Tesla in Poole, who wanted to remain anonymous, told the Daily Echo: “The guard system is brilliant.
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“The front camera caught the woman walking towards our car. The camera on the outside mirror showed her putting things on the passenger side of her car before hooking up the car. ”
He added, “The police told us that when people scratch cars, it is usually almost impossible to get things done. The cameras in the parking lot are usually too far away. The Tesla system is great.
“I knew the car had something like that, but I didn’t know how good it was.”
Anna Maria Valente, 57, of Alumhurst Road, Bournemouth, pleaded guilty to damage to a vehicle valued at £ 1,078.83 at a hearing in Poole County Court on December 9th.
She was released on parole for six months and sentenced to pay £ 1,078.83 in compensation, £ 22 surcharge and £ 85 expense.
