Dunno about that particular case but I hope/expect he was only convicted because of having one of those laser jammers fitted, and flipping the bird was inconsequential to the sentence. Although they are somewhat tacitly admitting they preferentially target people for investigation who don't satisfy their need to unearned grovelling.

One of the many current failings of modern police is some of them love to lie that they have powers far in excess of what they actually do. Especially so on social media, where they frequently list some misdemeanor behaviour alongside a punishment for something else they did and hoping the public make the wrong connections.