Telematics caught my cheating husband 

It’s a reality we all know well: technology is changing the pace of modern life. First it was CCTV, then smartphones and now fitness trackers, dash cams and voice assistants have become the new normal.

These digital devices may improve our lives, but they can also help deliver justice in unexpected ways.

From murderers caught red-handed to workers let off the hook when running late, here are the most shocking times when tech saved the day.

Murder on the wrist

A 90-year-old man was convicted last year when his victim’s FitBit data showed her heart rate spiked at 3:20 PM. It soon emerged that he visited her home at this exact time – with murder on the mind.

The man, Anthony Aiello from California, told police he simply took pizza and biscotti to the victim’s house. But the fitness tracking data proved something else was going on. His victim’s heart rate went through the roof and then dropped rapidly, all while he was still at the address.

It’s not the only time fitness trackers have been used to deliver justice – a British fitness fanatic and hitman was recently dropped in it by his Garmin. The device showed him cycling, walking and then stopping, before fleeing from a murder scene.

Investigators have also begun tracking the movements of missing and kidnapped people through their fitness trackers. More than just a health device, this type of tracker can act as a wearable witness.

Justice in a black box

In a shock revelation, one wife caught wind of her husband’s sordid affair through her black box car insurance policy, according to telematics specialists WiseDriving.

She called the insurance company after receiving a surprise charge for driving late at night, even though she took a sleeping pill every night without fail – and slept right through.

“We notified her that someone was driving her car after hours,” according to Matt Crane, brand owner, “but she said she takes a sedative to sleep – and always sleeps right through.”

“It was a perplexing situation, but the data doesn’t lie: someone was driving her car after hours.”

“It turned out that it was her husband having an affair,” Matthew said.

The high-tech car insurance providers have further tales to tell. Their telematics device has even helped to get customers off the hook for being late to work.

“When an officer was late for a parade, a court-martial was issued against him. In the military, lateness can be very serious.”

“He asked us for help, so we looked into the trip data. It clearly showed that he left with plenty of time to spare and was stuck in traffic – so we managed to get it reversed for him.”

The technology can also help with insurance disputes after accidents, according to Matthew. In one case, two people plotted an insurance scam by driving to a country road and crashing.

Matthew added: “They must have realised they didn’t do as much damage as they wanted, so they crashed again.”

The fraudster friends then moved the cars to a busier location, claiming the collision had happened there and that they were complete strangers. But GPS saw the whole thing – and it proved that they were at the same address before and after the accident.

The technology can also help law-abiding customers out – which is exactly what happened when a woman collided with a combine harvester. It can be notoriously difficult to prove a car accident wasn’t your fault, especially when it looks like you rear-ended another driver.

“What we proved was that when the accident happened, she was at a standstill,” Matthew explained. “In fact, she had been still for 30 seconds. The combine harvester reversed into her.” 

Eyes in the ice box

Fridges, ovens and home security devices are now helping to catch criminals within their own homes.

That’s according to an interview with Mark Stokes, who heads up the digital, cyber and communications forensics unit at the Metropolitan Police.

“Wireless cameras within a device, such as a fridge, may record the movement of owners and suspects,” he revealed.

“Doorbells that connect directly to apps on a user’s phone can show who has rung the door. All these leave a log and a trace of activity.”

It’s the “crime scene of tomorrow” according to the police officer.

In fact, any home device that records data can be used to catch thieves and murderers. In one case, a hot tub’s water records provided damning evidence against a suspect. Prosecutors found the huge amount of water he had used suspicious and felt he may have used it to wash away the blood.

Whether owners are caught red handed or let off the hook, there are many unexpected ways devices can help to deliver justice.

While some police forces struggle to process all the data from the tech we have embraced in recent years, the potential is massive. It just goes to show, gadgets and gimmicks could save the day in more ways than you realise.

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